Judge, 1919-10-04 · page 35 of 36
Judge — October 4, 1919 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **not a cartoon or satire**—it is a straightforward cigarette advertisement from *Judge* magazine. The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company promotes Camel cigarettes at 18 cents per package, emphasizing quality over competitor incentives. The ad's key claims include: superior "smoothness" and "mild mellow body" from blending Turkish and domestic tobacco; freedom from "unpleasant cigaretty aftertaste or odor"; and superiority to rival brands offering coupons and premiums. The visual shows an open cigarette package and fanned cigarettes. For modern readers: this represents pre-regulation tobacco advertising, before health warnings, FTC restrictions, or acknowledgment of addiction. The rhetoric about "quality" and "taste" was standard marketing unchallenged by health science at the time. The dismissal of competitor giveaways suggests competitive market positioning among major cigarette brands in this era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
October 4, 1919 per-coveredcarten tre mend this carton for the home or office supply or when you travel R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO. Winston-Salem, N.C. CIGARETTES AMELS prove a cigarette revelation to the most critical smokers. Never have such smoothness, such mild mellow body and such refreshing flavor been put into a ciga- rette! Every puff seems to supply greater delight! Your fondness for Camels continually increases; they never tire your taste! That's because Camels have the quality and because they are an expert blend of cho Turkish and choice Domestic tobaccos. Camels blend is unusual, so appealing to your best cigarette desires you'll prefer it to either kind of tobacco smoked straight! Compare Camels with any cigarette in the world—quality, enjoyment, price—to realize that Camels are made to meet vour taste. And, you'll appreciate Cam freedom from any unpleasant cigaretty aftertaste or unpleasant cigaretty odor] Once you know Camels you'll certainly prefer their quality to coupons, gifts or premiums, icomicbooks#com