Judge, 1919-11-15 · page 36 of 36
Judge — November 15, 1919 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **cigarette advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes Helmar brand cigarettes, priced at 15 cents, emphasizing their "pure Turkish tobacco" as a luxury product. The ad features Egyptian imagery (a pharaoh's profile, ornate columns) to evoke exoticism and quality. The rhetorical strategy appeals to aspiration: if a *dash* of Turkish tobacco improves ordinary cigarettes, imagine cigarettes made *entirely* of it—positioned as an affordable luxury for the consumer. The tagline "Is the best too good for you?" uses reverse psychology to encourage purchase. This reflects early 20th-century advertising when Turkish cigarettes were marketed as premium, and before tobacco's health dangers were widely acknowledged or regulated.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Think it Over! Even a slight dash of pure Turkish makes an ordinary cigarette smokable. Then how about Helmar that’s ALL pure Turkish tobacco?—why, it’s one of the luxuries of life! Is the best too good for you ?—of course not! Makers of the Highest Grade Turkish and Egyptian Cigarettes in the World COMIEHOOKS*COM'==