Posters were a popular and effective communication medium in the era before the television and the Internet. Posters were designed to provoke an immediate response from their audience and they were widely circulated in towns and cities across the land. They urged their viewers to buy, to sell, and for the American Red Cross, "to join." Many distinguished artists and illustrators produced memorable works that defined the American Red Cross as the leader in providing humanitarian service. Artists such as Howard Chandler Christy, James Montgomery Flagg, Norman Rockwell, and N.C. Wyeth created works for the annual Roll Call membership and fund raising campaigns. Their work was widely distributed across the nation, and literally became part of the changing cultural landscape of America.