Life, 1915-09-23 · page 35 of 48
Life — September 23, 1915 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **whisky advertisement** disguised as satirical humor. Two fox-hunting gentlemen on horseback discuss a new neighbor. One praises him as "a man of taste," and when asked if he shares a passion for antiques, the punchline reveals the neighbor's refined taste is actually his preference for Johnnie Walker Red Label whisky in non-refillable bottles. The joke equates drinking quality scotch with collecting antiques—positioning whisky consumption as a mark of sophistication and "taste." The ad emphasizes the product's century-old heritage ("Born 1820—Still going strong") and guarantees consistent quality. The fox-hunting setting and upper-class dialogue reinforce the whisky's positioning as an elite product for gentlemen of means. This appears typical of early 20th-century advertising strategy: wrapping commercial messaging in seemingly clever social commentary to appeal to aspirational consumers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
from pplied 1 addressed of uns dress. Born 1820 —Still going strong. Z | { us Tih Pt Ye My 1) ied Neale Hii Colone? Fox-Hunter: ‘* How aRE YOU GETTING ON WITH THAT NEW NEIGHBOUR OF Yours?" M.F.H.: “Ou, sptenpipty! He 1s A MAN OF TASTE.” Colonel Fox-Hunter (surprised): * WHat! Has HE YOUR PASSION FOR ANTIQUES?” M.F.H. (with finality): “He was. He stocks ‘Jounniz Wacker’ Rep LaBet IN THE NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.” All the experience of unbroken family management since 1820 is inside every “ Johnnie Walker" non-refillable bottle. Our policy of liberal anticipation will continue to guarantee the maintenance of ‘‘ Johnnie Walker” quality regardless of increased sales. Every drop of Red Label in a non-refillable bottle is over 10 years old. GUARANTEED SAME QUALITY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. Agents: WILLIAMS, & HUMBERT, 1158 Broadway, NEW YORK. JOHN WALKER & SONS, Lrp., Waisxy Distiuiens, KILSIARNOCK, ScotLann. comicbooks.com