...because somebody talked!

This is a cautionary poster urging people to take care with the conversations they have with others. Pictured is spaniel dog resting its head and tear filled eyes on a seamen's square rig collar that is lying on the back of a chair. Behind the dog is a the Gold Star Service Banner, which represents a family member having been lost in war. This poster warns of that the consequences of careless talk may result in the death of a loved one. This poster was produced by the Office of War Information's (OWI) in the United States as part of the "Loose Lips, Sink Ships" series. The commercial artist Wesley Heyman produced this work that almost did not make it into production. The OWI eventually accepted Heyman's design for the poster, but they printed it in magazines and newspapers, as well as on the walls of government and corporate office buildings. The OWI received thousands of requests from private and public institutions around the country for reproductions of this image. The OWI personnel estimated that they reproduced millions of this poster and that it "shattered all records" for previous poster requests. The poster was a highly effective piece of propaganda. It simple design focussed on four items- a gold service star, a Cocker Spaniel, a U.S. Navy sailor's uniform, and the short text. The gold service star flag instantly acknowledged that someone had been lost in the war. The use of the Cocker Spaniel instead of a human to convey loss is an important aspect of the poster. The Cocker Spaniel became the most popular breed of dog in the United States during the 1940s and 50s. The use of a dog image was one that many that many Americans could relate to and it softened and sentimentalised the cold truths about the war. The Service Flag hanging on the wall in the background with a gold star also symbolizes the gravity and consequences of "loose talk".