Defeat the Kaiser and his U-Boats. Victory depends on which fails at first, food or frightfulness. Eat less wheat" poster
The pattern
This still is filed under Civilian war-duty equate.
Define
A civilian act (saving, making, staying quiet) is framed as the same duty as the front.
Mechanism
Moral equate. The small act inherits the gravity of the large one. The ask is ordinary. The meaning is not.
Verdict
We need mass compliance on an unglamorous behavior and can honestly tie it to a shared stake.
Why it works
It draws a direct, visceral line between the dinner table (eating less wheat) and the battlefield (defeating the Kaiser). The villainous caricature of the Kaiser creates a clear enemy, making conservation an act of defiance.
Steal this when
You need to mobilize an audience by positioning your request as a direct strike against a shared enemy or urgent threat.