October 1940, 14 months before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the RCA Victor Company instituted a company-wide campaign that said, “With RCA Victor, National Defense comes first. By comparison we hold nothing else important.” The idea behind the “Beat the Promise” campaign was to raise production levels beyond the pledge made by the company.
Although the patriotic campaign began before the actual war was declared, it was in place after the declaration. Scores of posters adorned plants making radios, record players and communications equipment. Along with the printed material, plants were decked with banners and flags, and loudspeakers shouted out the voices of RCA employees in the military telling of the need for more and more equipment. Production rose up to 14 times higher than when the campaign began. How can one be a slacker after seeing the “Don’t Be a Bottleneck” poster?
Unfortunately, the posters are not signed and credits are unavailable.
The Spring 2016 issue takes a dive into the largest design capital of the world: New York City. Get an exclusive look into the lives of design celebrities–from James Victore to Timothy Goodman, Jessica Walsh to Stefan Sagmeister. And then ask yourself: what makes a designer a celebrity? And is there a difference between “celebrity” and “fame?”
All of this PLUS the winners of the Typography & Lettering Awards, the history of Helvetica and a sneak peek at Seymour Chwast’s next exhibit.