7 Great motivational poster prints

Here we explore 7 of the most morale boosting and inspiring poster prints in the world.

1) KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON - BRITISH GOVERNMENT

 The now iconic and highly replicated motivation poster was originally produced by the British government in 1939 in preparation for WW2. The purpose of the poster was to keep the British public operating as normally as possible, despite constant threats of air raids. What a lot of people do not know is that this poster was actually a part of a trilogy, with the others saying: “Freedom is in peril:  defend it with all your might” and “Your courage, your cheerfulness, your resolution will bring us victory.”

2) VOTE FOR CHANGE - BARACK OBAMA

Barack’s Obama’s ‘Vote for Change’ posters were readily seen all over the Western World in the run up to the 2008 elections. The motive was simple: if you wanted to see a black man become the president of the USA for the first time, vote for Obama. Obama stood for the repressed, who previously may have been deemed unacceptable to lead the country. The poster was part of a huge, successful advertising campaign that saw Obama indeed become the first black president of America.

3) YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU - LORD KITCHENER

This iconic war poster was one of the first motivational war posters that Britain produced. It’s aim was to get more people to recruit themselves into the British military for WW1. The British Secretary of State for War, Lord Kitchener, famously points his finger forwards, so every person who read this poster felt like he could be talking directly to them. The image and the slogan is highly influential and caused multiple copy cat versions from other countries.

4) WE CAN DO IT - AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

This USA wartime propaganda poster famously depicts a determined woman flexing her muscle and looking poised and ready for action. It was produced by a man called J. Howard Miller in 1943 for the company Westinghouse Electric. Its aim was to boost internal office and company morale and encourage women to work harder. The poster has now become an iconic feminist image of self empowerment and determination.

5) YOU'RE NOT A PRINCESS - MERCY ACADEMY

A Catholic school in Kentucky, USA, the Mercy Academy, used a motivational campaign to get young women to focus on their education and gain crucial life skills. The message? “Don’t wait for a prince. Be able to rescue yourself.” The lesson here is for young girls to not sit back on their haunches and wait for a man to sweep them off their feet. Instead, this deeply feminist campaign told them that they should see themselves as equals and strive to achieve just as much as men. Another  campaign tag line included: "Life is not a fairy tale”.

6) TESTED ON REAL CURVES - DOVE 

Dove cosmetics made headlines with its revolutionary advertising campaign: ‘Dove’s campaign for real beauty’, launched in 2004. The aim of the campaign was to use real women in its posters: older women, black women, plus sized women... women that are largely ignored by other beauty companies. One of the most inspirational posters that supported this campaign was ‘Tested on real curves,’ which gave women a glimpse into 'normal' and didn't tell them to strive for unachievable media connotations of ‘beauty.’

7) ABOVE AND BEYOND - MOTIVATIONAL POSTER

Successory posters were an absolute office staple in the 1980s and 1990s. Their aim was to inspire and motivate everyone in the office. One of the most famous depicts an aeroplane display team with the tagline: ‘Above and beyond. When a team of dedicated individuals makes a commitment to act as one…the sky’s the limit.” These successory posters are less common now, but their relevance as a key workplace motivational scheme is worth noting.

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