Paraffin Economy: Use Less and Waste None
Royal arms above 'Issued by the Petroleum Department' and a text-only appeal on a green ground. It gives a reason (paraffin comes by sea) and asks for economy 'in your own and your country's interest', which joins personal and national interest (identity-fusion, weak).
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Petroleum Department (UK government), printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Fosh & Cross Ltd, London
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, Economy and finance
- Event
- World War II
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- 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
- Public domain (UK Crown copyright, 50 years from publication, expired before 1996; no URAA restoration)
Petroleum Department; printed by Fosh & Cross Ltd for HMSO, 1939-1945. U.S. National Archives, RG 44.
Text on the object
ISSUED BY THE PETROLEUM DEPARTMENT PARAFFIN ECONOMY Consumption of paraffin has to be reduced, because it is brought by sea. In your own and your country's interest the Government ask you for economy in using paraffin, for heating, lighting, cleaning or any other purpose. USE LESS AND WASTE NONE PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY FOSH & CROSS LTD., LONDON (51/943)
