Share and play square: pay ration points in full when buying rationed foods; pay no more than ceiling prices
Tall blue-and-white striped strip printed twice, the lower copy upside down, each with a red panel 'Share and play square', a white circle reading 'Pay ration points in full when buying rationed foods' and a 'Food fights for freedom' emblem. The technique is faint: 'play square' is a fairness phrase attached to a plain compliance request.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1944
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Government, 'Food Fights for Freedom' campaign (issuer not named); U.S. Government Printing Office
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, Economy and finance
- 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 Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
U.S. Government. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1722 (NAID 515392).
Text on the object
SHARE AND PLAY SQUARE PAY RATION POINTS IN FULL-- WHEN BUYING RATIONED FOODS PRODUCE AND CONSERVE SHARE AND PLAY SQUARE FOOD FIGHTS for freedom Pay no more than ceiling prices [imprint: U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1944—O] [the same text repeats upside down on the other half of the strip]
