Life, 1915-10-07 · page 37 of 52
Life — October 7, 1915 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Johnnie Walker whisky advertisement** disguised as humorous editorial content in Life magazine. The cartoon depicts a porter and traveler at what appears to be a train station. The traveler nervously mentions he's previously left a case of Johnnie Walker whisky behind; the porter reassures him it's now safe in "non-refillable bottles." **The satire/advertising point:** The joke plays on travelers' anxiety about luggage being misplaced—particularly valuable alcohol. The ad cleverly turns this into a selling point: Johnnie Walker is so globally available and reliable ("the sun never sets on Johnnie Walker") that even if you *do* leave it behind, you can get more anywhere. The non-refillable bottles also emphasize product authenticity and quality control. The "Born 1820—Still going strong" tagline references the brand's age and longevity, suggesting durability and trustworthiness. This blurs advertising and editorial content in ways modern readers would immediately recognize as advertising, but early-20th-century Life magazine frequently published such hybrid content.
📄 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. Porter (reassuringly, referring to the case of “ Johnnie Walker"): “It witt BE ALL RIGHT BEHIND, SIR.” Traveller (nervously): ‘* Maye, BUT I'vE LEFT A CASE OF ‘JOHNNIE WALKER’ BEHIND, BEFORE !" Porter: “‘ But 11's MUCH SAFER IN THESE NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLES.” One cannot blame a traveller for being nervous lest his case of “ Johnnie Walker" Red Label be left behind, but it is reassuring to know that “ Johnnie Walker” is to be had everywhere. The sun never sets on “ Johnnie Walker,” nor on the particular man who asks for it. . Every drop of “ Johnnie Walker" 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, Lro., Warsry Disticizrs, KILMARNOCK, Scortann, comicbooks.com