Life, 1915-12-02 · page 11 of 100
Life — December 2, 1915 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Johnnie Walker whisky advertisement** disguised as satirical cartoon content in *Life* magazine's "Christmas Life" section (page 1039). The cartoon depicts well-dressed gentlemen in top hats discussing the price of "Johnnie Walker" whisky. One figure stands elevated on a "Johnnie Walker" box, while others gesture below. A ship appears in the background. The joke plays on the whisky brand's longevity: "Born 1820—Still going strong." The dialogue suggests the product's reliability makes it a "double sure winner" investment, even in a non-refillable bottle. This is essentially **branded content marketing**, presenting product loyalty as a humorous topic worthy of satirical treatment. The ad emphasizes the whisky's century-plus history and "guaranteed same quality throughout the world," leveraging the magazine's satirical format to make advertising entertaining rather than purely promotional.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-CHRISTMAS LIFE- Born 1820 Still going strong. Nut (to Bookie): “Wuat price ‘Jounnie Wacker’?” Bookie (looking wise): “* Nor LayiNG 17, SiR.” Nut: “Way?” Bookie: "Cos 11's A DOUBLE SURE WINNER NOW THEY'VE PUT IT IN THAT NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.” For generations “ Johnnie Walker” Red Label has led the race, but now it is lengths ahead, and—still going strong. Every drop in the 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., Watsey Distitcens, KILMARNOCK, Scorcaxn. comicbooks.com