Psychology of Advertising, Crowds, and Propaganda in the Context of War: A Psychosocial Analysis of Slogan Cancels and Postal Markings

At first glance, the slogan “TACI! OGNI NOTIZIA GIOVA AL NEMICO” appears to be nothing more than a graphic detail mechanically repeated on Italian mail during the Second World War. However, when viewed through the lens of social psychology, it reveals itself as a powerful instrument of influence: a simple, imperative, and omnipresent message designed to shape behavior, discipline discourse, and transform silence into a patriotic virtue. This brief statement printed on an everyday envelope does more than warn against espionage — it teaches people to keep quiet, to self‑censor, and to internalize the norm, allowing propaganda to infiltrate the most intimate sphere of human communication.

 

Social psychology and the psychology of advertising demonstrated early on that in contexts of collective threat—such as war—individual behaviors tend to be heavily conditioned by simple, imperative, and repetitive normative messages. The effectiveness of these messages lies not in the information conveyed, but in their ability to regulate behavior, produce social conformity, and suppress individual expression in the name of collective security.

Twentieth-century political propaganda, particularly within authoritarian regimes, exploited these mechanisms by creating short, emotionally charged, and morally framed slogans capable of influencing large masses indirectly. The objective is not to convince through reason, but to guide conduct, transforming external commands into internalized norms.

Postal Slogan Cancels as Diffuse Propaganda

The slogans and pictorial cancels (flammulas) applied to mail during World War II fit perfectly within this model. Although integrated into an administrative circuit, these markings function as devices of everyday propaganda, circulating repeatedly through both private and public spaces.

In the Italian case, the systematic use of machine cancellations featuring messages such as “TACI! OGNI NOTIZIA GIOVA AL NEMICO” reveals a particularly effective propaganda strategy: the message is not imposed via large-scale visual media, but instead infiltrates an intimate object—the letter—which accompanies everyday and emotionally invested gestures.

The "TACI! OGNI NOTIZIA GIOVA AL NEMICO" Slogan: Social Influence and Self-Censorship

As a complete message, the slogan articulates two complementary levels of psychological influence.

The imperative “TACI!” (Keep quiet!) constitutes a direct, authoritative, and emotionally potent command. The second part—“Ogni notizia giova al nemico” (Any news helps the enemy)—provides the moral and collective justification, asserting that any reckless word objectively aids the enemy. This combination transforms silence from a mere obligation into a patriotic duty.

From the perspective of social psychology, this is a clear mechanism of normative influence, in which:

• The expected behavior (remaining silent) is made explicit;
• Transgression is associated with grave, albeit implicit, consequences;
• Responsibility is shifted onto the individual.

The Sender

For the sender, the slogan acts as a trigger for anticipatory self-censorship. Even before writing the message, the subject is confronted with the idea that any information—even the most banal—could be harmful. The result is the internalization of control, where silence is practiced voluntarily as an expression of loyalty and civic prudence.

The Postal Worker

For the official responsible for cancelling and processing the envelope, the presence of the slogan legitimizes their role as a technical agent of an ideological norm, without requiring active intervention regarding the content. Psychosocially, the worker becomes part of a chain of symbolic influence, where control takes an institutional and impersonal form, diluting individual responsibility.

The Recipient (Soldier)

For the recipient, the message “TACI! OGNI NOTIZIA GIOVA AL NEMICO” frames the entire act of reading. The letter arrives already marked by a command of silence that:

• Conditions expectations regarding the content;
• Reinforces the perception of constant surveillance;
• Aligns the private sphere of correspondence with military and ideological discipline.

Even when the letter's content is innocent, the slogan serves as a reminder that words are potentially dangerous and that silence is the desirable social norm.

Final Consideration

This type of machine cancellation should not be understood merely as a postal mark or a promotional slogan, but as a psychosocial device for discourse regulation. The “TACI! OGNI NOTIZIA GIOVA AL NEMICO” slogan transforms the mail into a medium for diffusing behavioral values, promoting self-censorship, collective conformity, and the internalization of control—the central pillars of fascist propaganda in wartime.

 

The philatelic analysis is available on the 'Acervo e Ensaio' blog of the Museum of Philately Sérgio Pedro.