Life, 1914-10-15 · page 5 of 48
Life — October 15, 1914 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Johnnie Walker whisky advertisement** disguised as humorous content, appearing in Life magazine's satirical format. The cartoon depicts a hotel porter recommending Johnnie Walker to a confused traveler asking which hotel to stay at. The joke is that there's "only one" good choice—implying the porter only trusts Johnnie Walker whisky, not actual hotels. The advertisement uses this comedic framing to promote the whisky's reliability and consistency worldwide. The "Born 1820 - Still going strong" caption emphasizes the brand's longevity and established reputation. The satire mocks the earnestness of advertising itself by presenting a absurd recommendation (whisky as a hotel criterion), while simultaneously pitching the product to readers through humor—a common advertising technique in early 20th-century magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Born 1820 — Still going strong. Je )] AE Ma Stranger, arriving at a country station: “ Wuici HOTEL DO YoU RECOMMEND?” Porter: “ THERE'S ONLY WAN.” Stranger: “Wuy, I THOUGHT THERE WERE Two!” Porter: “ TIteRe’s ONLY WAN AS KEEPS ‘ JOHNNIE WALKER,’ IN NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLES.” It is a safe rule to follow, that an hotel which in this straightforward way ensures the quality of its whisky will give satisfaction otherwise. Every drop of “ Johnnie Walker” Red Label is over 10 years old. GUARANTEED SAME QUALITY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. Agents: WILLIAMS & HUMBERT, 1158 Broadway, NEW YORK. JOHN WALKER & SONS, Lrp., Wnisxy Distiturers, KILMARNOCK. comicbooks.com