American World War II poster indicating worker production will help crush the Axis powers

Silk screen poster depicting a giant shoe about to step on caricatures of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Hideki Tojo that was part of RCA Victor’s “Beat the Promise” worker incentive poster series instituted in September 1941, shortly before the United States entered World War II. The poster insinuates that enhanced manufacturing production would be instrumental in stomping out the threat of the Axis Powers. The promise refers to the company’s production quotas, which employees were encouraged to surpass. The poster series was part of a larger campaign by RCA Victor to increase production for the war effort. The campaign included rallies with war bond drives that featured notable military figures and Victor record recording artists. The campaign was very successful; RCA Victor’s production in 1941 was 14 times greater than in 1939 and production through the first six months of 1942 was 49 times greater than the same period in 1939.