“Eat Less Bread,” and Other Early Calls-to-Action

Articles about technology’s attention-span-shortening effects are everywhere these days and the topic has become something of journalistic dead horse. The typical piece can be reduced to the same four or five points, including the idea that professionals must use pictures to reach the modern text-averse consumer.

And while the iPhone may be causing us to ‘think different,’ its impact could be less than some claim. Visuals have always elicited a response, as this Wall Street Journal profile on a new book of mid-20th century British wartime posters shows. The WSJ writes:

“In the days before texts, tweets, and email, getting a message out took a little more work… The posters crackle with wit and visual energy – and powerfully evoke a bygone era.”

With clear copy and compelling illustrations, the posters admonish viewers to “Enlist at City Hall,” “Save Kitchen Waste to Feed the Pigs,” and “Eat Less Bread.” The era may be bygone, but the format is still used in modern online ads. You could just as easily picture them in a 1939 Mashable feature: “Top 8 Ways to Stop the German Threat.”

Mobile technology and the Internet have changed the way we receive information, but we still recognize good messaging when we see it. The best part is that it’s remarkably simple to create. There’s no magic formula to generating support – a short call-to-action and a punchy graphic are all it takes to get your audience buzzing. (Bread helps, too.)