Anti-alcohol posters in Poland

(DISCLAIMER:  I wrote this in the throes of a winter bug, forgive me if not all of it makes sense.)

My recent practical work has been based around food and nutrition, and combined with research which looks at the ways in which consumerism is encouraged has made me think about designing something to either persuade or dissuade excessive habits.  A study I came across when researching my proposal, Anti-alcohol Posters in Poland, 1945-1989: Diverse Meanings, Uncertain Effects, is a relevant reading point for this area of study, as it focuses on anti-drinking propaganda.  A study on the visuals used to try and encourage a change in a cultural habit is a great place to examine some techniques and their effectiveness.  The posters have been described in the paper's abstract as being "unsuccessful in restraining overall consumption" but offering "valuable lessons for policymakers on the use of visual media in health campaigns." (Gorsky, Dutka et al.,2010)

Poland was chosen for this study as political environment around the time of study had been quite turbulent.  In addition, the urbanisation seen in Poland during the early 20th century meant that vodka- the main cause of the alcohol issue - was made more readily available to people as shops were nearby.  During the period featured in the study, consumption of vodka in litres per capita from 4.2 in 1950 to 9.3 by 1989.  The researchers looked at the medical effects over this period as well as alcohol-related crime incidents and the correlation for each to alcohol, respectively, is clear. 

Many of the posters featured in the study come from the Polish School, an art movement which used "high artistic values, drawing on symbolism, macabre imagery and a wide range of styles including surrealism, formalism, expressionism and pop art."  (Gorsky, Dutka et al.,2010)

 Work from this movement was very stylised in an attempt to provoke a stronger reaction in people.  By moving away from a realistic approach, artists of the Polish school gave their work room to be subverted.  "Polish school artists used metaphor and ambiguity, and references to the contested cultural symbolism of drink, to complicate and subvert the narrow propaganda intent." (Gorsky, Dutka et al.,2010)

 Instead of focusing on the health implications of drinking such as alcohol psychosis or liver failure, the majority of posters presented the drinker as "a social deviant" who "failed to contribute to the economy".  This is seen below in Figure 1, showing a drunk stuck in prison while his comrades are outside leading a revolution.  The poster is titled Stop Drinking!  Come With Us And Build A Better Tomorrow and encourages a healthier approach to alcohol in order to bring about the desired social change of the time.

Figure 1

Many of the posters were of an emotional standpoint, using various striking imagery techniques to engage and shock the viewer.  A particularly emotional style is used below by Dziatlik, drawn to look like it was done by a child.  Gorsky, Dutka et al write that " the viewer sees through the child's eyes and must impose his or her own meaning, whether around the stupefaction of the irresponsible father or the terror of domestic violence." (Gorsky, Dutka et al.,2010)  The caption, "The return of daddy" is also the title of a well known poem where the children pray for the safe return of their father from war.  This adds an element of irony to the image and makes clear the disproval of the artist.  

Figure 2

Sport and leisure pursuits were important at the time the poster below (Figure 3) was created, which is why the image of an athletic body being wasted away by alcohol would have been poignant at the time.    This poster was made in the time of the Soviet era, where sport and physical strength played an important part in ideology and was used in political propaganda.  "Fitzkulutra" was promoted as a means of driving industrial workforce and the military, often through a "sporting hero" figure seen as an icon.  The poster was created in 1964, the same year that Poland had performed very well in the Olympics, and the title, Don't Drink Away All You Have Achieved, combines with the illustration to reflect the national importance of optimum physical health and how it could lead to great achievement. 

Figure 3

The poster in Figure 4 was created 20 years later in 1984, is described as "a concise metaphor for the mortality risks of alcohol." (Gorsky, Dutka et al., 2010) This kind of image speaks for itself and needs no text or further elaboration.

Figure 4

The paper concludes that it cannot be proved that the posters had any known measurable effects on how Polish citizens changed their attitudes to drinking after being exposed to them. However, it is noted that "the steady presence of visual messages may have played a part in shifting the climate of public opinion" and that posters "can have an impact on knowledge and attitudes, and may therefore be effective when integrated with other policies, such as drunk-driving messages alongside enhanced policing, or in preparing public opinion for more effectual environmental measures, such as advertising bans or licensing restriction." (Gorsky, Dutka et al., 2010)  For myself, the visuals used were a useful reference for the kinds of subject matter which might be used in a direct attempt to change social behaviour - these works, as part of a public health campaign, are examples of overt propaganda and can be a great reference for practical work.  

References

Gorsky, Dutka et al. 2010.  American Journal of Public Health.  "Anti-alcohol Posters in Poland, 1945-1989.  Diverse Meanings, Uncertain Effects." Vol 100, no. 11. pp.2059-2069  

Available online at: 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951971/?tool=pmcentrez
[Accessed 8th December 2014]

Images 

Fig 1 Bogusz, Marian, 1952.  Stop Drinking!  Come With Us And Build A Better Tomorrow.  Printed poster [online image] Available at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951971/?tool=pmcentrez
[Accessed 8th December 2014]

Fig 2 Dziatlik, 1957.  The Return of Daddy.  [online image] Available at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951971/?tool=pmcentrez
[Accessed 8th December 2014]

Fig 3  Urbaniek, Maciej, 1964. Don't Drink Away All You Have Achieved 
[online image] Available at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951971/?tool=pmcentrez
[Accessed 8th December 2014]

Fig 4 Cwikla, Jacek, 1984.  Untitled.  [online image] Available at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951971/?tool=pmcentrez
[Accessed 8th December 2014]