Life, 1915-06-10 · page 6 of 48
Life — June 10, 1915 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Locomobile automobile advertisement** from Life magazine, not political satire. The ad contrasts hallmarks (official quality endorsements, like those on silver) with trade-marks (commercial brand labels). The Locomobile Company argues their car deserves a "hallmark"—signifying fine craftsmanship and artistry—rather than a manufacturer's trade-mark, which they associate with mass-market commerce. The illustration shows an elegant open-air automobile with well-dressed passengers and a decorative parasol, emphasizing luxury positioning. **Key appeal**: The company positions their vehicle as fine art deserving authentication of quality, not mere commercial goods requiring a brand label. This reflects early 1900s luxury-car marketing emphasizing craftsmanship over mass production.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Locomobile differs from other motor cars. It is hallmarked, not trade-marked. The hallmark on a piece of old silver is different from a trade-mark. It is a mark that registers the fineness and high quality of the silver used together with the names of the designer and craftsmen that produced it. It is an official endorsement of genuineness, not a manufacturer’s label. The trade-mark is necessary in commerce. It is a mark or sign to distinguish an article. It not only prevents confusion, but it aids in making sales. A trade-mark, as a name, a design, or picture, may be worth many thousands of dollars to a company. Motor car designers always equip their cars with special features so as to make them unmistakable in appearance, and recognizable even at a distance. Each Motor Car has its special signs. It is trade-marked. The Locomobile idea is different. It is to make a car that. is hallmarked rather than trade- marked. Thus we eliminate from the Locomobile conspicuous identifying marks. We believe that a car like the Locomobile primarily should be the owner’s car, and ought not to carry a manufacturer’s label. It should be the sort of car that one on seeing it would say, ‘That is one of the most beautiful cars that I ever saw, but what make is it? ’’ The new Locomobile is the finest car we ever made. We look on it as a work of art, and as such we do not want to put a trade-mark on it. The LOCOMOBILE COMPANY of America MAKERS OF FINE MOTOR CARS comicbooks.com