Judge — May 22, 1920 — page 36: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a Life Savers candy advertisement, not political satire. The ad plays on the brand name "Life Savers" with a pun: the candy allegedly "saves" smokers from tobacco breath by freshening their breath afterward. The cartoon shows a cheerful child-like figure smoking a cigarette while holding a Life Savers candy, with a robotic character made of Life Savers candies to the right. The text advises never smoking without Life Savers candy on hand. This reflects early-to-mid 20th-century advertising that casually promoted smoking while simultaneously marketing products to mask its unpleasant effects. The ad normalizes childhood awareness of cigarettes, which would be shocking by modern standards.