The Enemy Wears a Friendly Face - A Wartime Vigilance Poster

Goal Create an unsettling propaganda poster about deceptive appearances and concealed intentions. This is original artwork for an imagined 1940s Soviet wartime information-security campaign, rendered in English. It is a contemporary reinterpretation, not a reproduction or purported historical original. Historical verification is not required. This context belongs to the brief; do not add a disclaimer across the artwork. Deliverable One finished portrait PNG in a 2:3 width-to-height aspect ratio, at least 1024 x 1536 pixels, maximum 15 MB (15,000,000 bytes). Higher resolution is welcome; upscaling is optional and larger dimensions alone earn no extra points. Submit the PNG itself, not a link or a document containing the image. Any descriptive filename is acceptable. Requirements 1. Display the exact headline "THE ENEMY WEARS A FRIENDLY FACE." Line breaks are flexible. No additional slogans or body copy. 2. Communicate a clear contrast between an outwardly reassuring appearance and a concealed threat. 3. Use a visual allegory such as a mask, shadow, double image, or revealing gesture. Choose your own solution rather than copying a historical poster. 4. Make deception, not careless speech or exposed documents, the primary subject. 5. Use a plausible 1940s Soviet poster vocabulary and the campaign palette of red, black or charcoal, and warm cream; muted supporting colours are allowed. 6. Deliver flat, edge-to-edge artwork with bold readable English lettering, coherent imagery, and subtle printed texture. Negative scope No identifiable real people, ethnic or religious caricatures, modern objects, graphic violence, wall mockups, faux Cyrillic, copied historical compositions, signatures, watermarks, invented historical credits, or excessive ageing effects. AI-assisted artwork is allowed; visible generation errors are not. Historical research, source files, written explanations and extra variants are not required. No accounts, purchases, outreach, personal data or additional files are required. Pass/fail acceptance gates - One usable PNG in the stated 2:3 aspect ratio, meeting the minimum pixel dimensions and byte ceiling. - Correct complete headline, readable English lettering, and no additional slogans or body copy. - Clearly communicates deceptive appearances through a visible contrast or allegory. - Consistent with the stated period, palette and flat-artwork presentation. - Original composition, coherent imagery and no prohibited elements. Scoring rubric (100 points, in order) 1. Visual impact and composition: 40 points. 2. Period plausibility: 30 points. 3. Typography and English readability: 20 points. 4. Finish and believable print treatment: 10 points. Tie-breaker Verify the published acceptance gates first. Among equally scoring valid entries, prefer the most legible and memorable deception metaphor, then the more convincing period treatment. Characters and composition remain open within the requirements. Judging uses only this public brief. No historical source verification or extra deliverable is required. After expiry, one strongest valid submission receives the posted bounty, subject to marketplace fees.