He Gives Wings to the B-25's... He Works for Victory on Elgin Time!
A magazine advertisement shows a night scene of a B-25 bomber and fuel truck above a smiling aircraft plant foreman holding plans, under 'He gives wings to the B-25's', for Elgin watches. The tell is a named worker vouching 'I rely plenty on my Elgin watch' (testimonial) and bomber output and a war-bond stamp placed beside a commercial product (transfer). It is a commercial advertisement, not a government poster.
Propaganda techniques used in this advertisement
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Elgin National Watch Company (private advertiser); magazine page, publisher not shown
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Advertisement
- Issuer type
- Corporation
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Themes
- Home front, Economy and finance, War and the military
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Held by NARA, Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision
Elgin National Watch Company advertisement. National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-877a.
Text on the object
He gives wings to the B-25's... He works for Victory on Elgin time! DAY AND NIGHT, off the assembly lines they come... B-25's... "Flying Fortresses"... "Lightnings"... "Thunderbolts". [body text continues; FEWER ELGINS FOR CIVILIANS!; caption naming Raymond Roane of North American Aviation: "Time is the big factor here," he says, "you can bet I rely plenty on my Elgin watch!"] ELGIN Greatest Name in American Fine Watchmaking since 1865 ON BOTH FRONTS TODAY - ELGIN SERVES! FOR VICTORY BUY UNITED STATES WAR BONDS AND STAMPS
