Life, 1914-07-09 · page 6 of 40
Life — July 9, 1914 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **primarily an advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It's a full-page ad for White Motor Trucks, placed in *Life* magazine. The ad features an illustration of a delivery truck for "Gimbel Brothers" (a major department store chain) at the top, followed by marketing copy emphasizing that choosing White trucks signals business prestige and quality. The text argues that adopting White trucks demonstrates a company's commitment to excellence. The Gimbel Brothers truck serves as a **real-world endorsement example**—suggesting that prestigious retailers had already chosen White trucks, which would encourage other businesses to do the same. This reflects early automotive advertising strategy: using recognizable brand partnerships to build consumer confidence in commercial vehicles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PRESTIGE IN MOTOR TRUCKS Business firms are frequently judged by their equipment. To adopt White Motor Trucks indicates that you are willing to pay the price necessary to possess the best. It effectively demonstrates the fact that you place best service above all consideration. An important point of genuine satisfaction associated with the ownership of White Motor Trucks is this knowledge: You are represented by those motor trucks that the majority of leading commercial establishments every- where have, after thorough experimentation, selected for the completion of their motor truck fleets. | | CLEVELAND \ Both in quantity and value of production, the largest manufacturers \ of commercial motor vehicles in America.