Life — December 7, 1916 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising, not satire or political commentary**. It's a full-page advertisement for "Exide" automobile batteries by The Electric Storage Battery Company (Philadelphia, PA). The ad uses a striking visual metaphor: a muscular male figure (appearing to represent strength/power) holds up a large battery, while below, seven silhouetted figures in checkered pants hold papers labeled "Exide Service." This imagery emphasizes the battery's reliability and the company's service network. The headline "A Song of Service" frames battery performance as dependable and engineered by experienced professionals ("twenty-eight years" of expertise mentioned). The slogan "The Giant that lives in a box" references the product's concentrated power. This reflects 1920s-era advertising strategies emphasizing industrial reliability and service infrastructure.