In the aftermath of the Second World War the re-emerging food service industry relied on leaflets and other ephemeral prints to reach out to its clients. They utilized various linguistic, graphical and typographic means of persuasion. The article presents the results a liguistic and source-based analysis of the postwar leaflets, posters and invitations used in the food service and entertainment industries. The research encompassed the ways of depicting space, time, the sender and the most frequently utilized lexemes that impacted on the persasiveness of the messages. The analysis shows that the manufacturers of the prints did not rely solely on their pre-war experience in the field, but also strived for new ways of attracting their recipients. In 1947 the authorities began to shut down private ownership, and thus advertising was replaced with propaganda.