OUGD401 Context of Practice 1. Study Task 3.

A CRITICAL COMPARISON OF THE 1876 'UNCLE SAM RANGE' ADVERTISEMENT BY SCHUMACHER & ETTLINGER AND THE 1915 RECRUITMENT POSTER BY SAVILE LUMLEY.

It is important to consider the function and context of the two designs prior to comparing them.  The former, the ‘Uncle Sam’s Range’, is an 1876 advertisement for a new oven, while the latter is an English recruitment poster for the WW1, produced in 1915.

Initially, one may notice the visual similarities between the two images, of which there are many. The basic composition of each follows a whole page illustration plus copy format. Both focus on a centrally placed group of people and posses text at the bottom. It can be seen, however, that each maintains its’ own nationalistic individuality. The American poster uses a western style slab serif font and depicts an American dining room. Conversely, the English poster shows a more reserved living room scene above a script font. The two, however, are hand rendered in a semi-realist style and display de-saturated colours.

It is clear that the two images possess a promotional purpose, albeit for different reasons. The ‘Sam’s Range’ design is a purely commercial advertising publication, whereas the recruitment poster, while still promoting a subject, is persuading the audience to commit an action rather than buy a product. The manner in which the two advertising purposes are presented is also very similar. Encouraging and then questioning the audiences’ patriotism is a tactic in both. The American poster boasting red, blue and white stars and stripes throughout, along with the inclusion of Uncle Sam, reflects such a method. The English poster is subtler through questioning the viewer’s dedication to his country. Another way in which both designs persuade is through the involvement of children. The English poster plays on the honour of fathers to be, implying that his children would be disappointed with his desertion. The American design shows kids as personifications of U.S. regions being fed by the cooker.

Both pieces focus on capturing the male audience, the English one doing so exclusively. In 17^th century USA the man would have handled monetary matters including purchases making him the target market. In England, 1915, only men were allowed to join the army; therefore, the poster is intended for men. It is also true that the two designs attempt to reach a national audience because neither focus is relevant internationally. The two do, however, differ in their focus on social class in that the English army needed as many soldiers as possible, irrespective of class, whereas it is unlikely the American working class could’ve afforded the Sam’s Range.

Despite the many similarities in design and intent the two are drastically separated by time and, therefore, context. Being that the English poster was produced during a war, when the nation experienced regular air raids and resources were stretched to supply the allied effort, makes it likely few materials were allocated to its production. This is in great contrast to 1870’s USA, where a time of social and economic prosperity, including the rise of big business, meant that national production was constantly increasing in quantity and quality. Overall, the conditions were much more suitable in the USA.