We Are on War Work: "We Must Have Exports"
Large black lettering on a blue cloud reads 'WE ARE ON WAR WORK', over red text saying weekly tons of British goods go overseas and bring back food, war materials and munitions. The closing quotation 'We Must Have Exports' is credited by name to Ernest Bevin (testimonial), and the repeated 'WE' places the viewer among the producers (identity-fusion).
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1940
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO); printed by Lowe & Brydone Printers Ltd; quotation attributed to Ernest Bevin
- 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
- Economy and finance, Home front, Labor
- 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)
His Majesty's Stationery Office; printed by Lowe & Brydone Printers Ltd, London NW10, 1940s. U.S. National Archives (RG 44).
Text on the object
WE ARE ON WAR WORK Every week thousands of tons of British goods-including things we make here-go overseas- bringing Britain in return food, war materials and munitions "WE MUST HAVE EXPORTS" Ernest Bevin [small print:] PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY LOWE & BRYDONE PRINTERS LTD. LONDON N.W.10. 51-7924
