Life, 1914-11-05 · page 2 of 48
Life — November 5, 1914 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a satirical cartoon** but rather a **paid advertisement** for Colgate & Co. perfume, disguised as editorial content in Life magazine. The ad presents itself as reporting on a "perfume test" where 103 women compared imported French perfumes against Colgate's domestic product. The claim: over 2/3 chose Colgate's when brand labels were hidden, and 41 of 61 women who initially preferred foreign perfumes switched to Colgate when the origin was concealed. The illustrated woman and perfume bottles frame this as a pseudo-scientific "blind taste test" (or smell test). The ad invites readers to conduct their own test using provided samples. This represents **early 20th-century advertising strategy**: presenting commercial claims as objective consumer research to build credibility and encourage product trials.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Putduhed every Thursdiy Anau! Salctytion Entered at the Post Ofice at New York, N. Yo. a8 Second Dellars. Slagle Copies, Ten Cents all Rta Price fa Eaglind, Sixpence. Copyright ta Engind and the Briish Possessions, rg —— These three bottles contained three of the e A These three bottles were filled with domes- ‘most popular imported perfumes tic perfumes mode by Colgate & Co, would you have chosen in this oP hame Test ? HE test was made by 103 representative women, comparing six perfumes y} —three of which were the most poner foreign perfumes and three | were domestic, made by Colgate & Co. Over 3/5 of the 103 women chose Colgate’s in preference to the imported. Before making the test 61 of the 103 said they preferred a foreign perfume, yet when the influence of a for- eign label was removed 41 of these 61, or 2/3 of them, chose Colgate’s first. Every woman will be interested in the story of this test It shows very clearly that se- of two women’s magazines lecting . perrume pecause it This Is the Way They Chose and college women: Fach wa as, a oreign abe does not Fint choice of 28 women, Col Flovient Fin choice of 12 women, Foreign Perfume 2 asked to name the per! ume she e arily result ina wor Ss Firat choice of 26 women, Colgate’s Sj Fit choice of 10 women, ForiengPedtume 5 was in the habit of using and vetting what she really prefers Fie cheien el ID wromen.:Fermeniatume:4, : it choice of 9! semen, Chests was then given 6 strips of the ri 5 ide! 2c ote these little jes of women who had ited paper numbered 1 to 6, The test was condu Note these little stories of women a scented pap as follow i by two ne : beew buying a label rather than an tfume: corresponding to the numbers judges (Mr. F. N. Doubleds Pees sassy Betenn ahah ha ote yi en wnlal SGictoeed So guts meectrged || on the bottles. | She was asked of Doubleday, Page 25 || inthis tat placed that perfume ourth asd Selendog one Eclat aL to make a first choice, a second, Mr. S. Keith Evans of the || “7A’samiacat scnber of the ssi clan of sire ah pee ‘isa || a third, etc, Record was kept i ‘ Venat Coleee coe Celts lant athough est hone Cale ions Woman’s Home Companion). whe thought was her favorie perfume was f Le creering Sorc ceet ca || of all selections. They purchased three of the I Fu Freche lord tn the text, which When the tests were com- most popular imported per- pleted the judges took the rec- fumes and three Colgate per= ord and inserted the names of ri the perfumes in place of the numbers, from the key which they ‘plain bottles, number € ed from one tos ’ ok alone had. The sult was then announced to Colgate & Co. arecord ty which they alone kne q It was. iring test—inspired by the confidence which we had in perfume, From time to time strips af Perfumers’ Blotting Paper the superiority of our perfun How is your choice of perfumes were scented from the numbered bottles under the supervision determined? By what you really prefer or bya foreign label? Is { of the judges, and these were used in making the test. The 103 it not possible that a domestic bet is keeping you from the women represented business women, the stage, the editorial staffs enjoyment of the particular perfume you would naturally select? ( Would you like to make the test for yourself > If so, we will send you three Perfumers’ Testing Strips, three This test will not only be valuable to you but can be used miniasure vials of the Colgate Perfumes—Florient, Splendor as interesting form of entertainment for your friends. We and Eclat—and an extra Testing Strip so that you can make a vill send full instructions as to how to make the test. Your comparison between Colgate’s and the perfume which you may name and address and a 2c stamp for mailing will receive now be using. Prompt attention. Try this test among your friends before making your Christmas purchases, so that you may know what perfumes to select as gifts COLGATE & CO., Perfume Contest, Dept. 23, 199 Fulton Street, New York | | comicbooks.com