Life, 1917-04-05 · page 9 of 70
Life — April 5, 1917 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **whiskey advertisement** for Johnnie Walker Red Label, presented as political/social satire rather than straightforward marketing. The cartoon depicts three figures in formal dress encountering a well-dressed man in a top hat (representing Johnnie Walker whiskey). The characters appear to be caricatured representations of skeptics or critics. The satirical dialogue frames the product as genuinely valuable ("not all that glitters is gold") while defending Johnnie Walker's reputation and quality. The advertisement emphasizes the product's age (10+ years), protective non-refillable bottle design, and worldwide consistency as markers of legitimacy and authenticity. The "Born 1820—still going strong" tagline positions the brand as enduring and reliable. The overall tone suggests responding to contemporary concerns about counterfeit spirits or quality assurance.
📄 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. Johnnie Walker: ** ALL 1s NoT GOLD THAT GLITTERS.’” Wise Man: “Yes, BUT THERE 1S MORE THAN GOLDEN GLITTER ABouT ‘Jounniz Waker’ Rep Laset—ir 1s GENUINE.” —and the “genuineness” of “Johnnie Walker" is assured by its protective non-refillable bottle. Every drop of Red Label is over 10 years old before released from bond—the non-refillable botile does the rest. GUARANTEED SAME QUALITY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. Agents: WILLIAMS & HUMBERT, 1158 Broadway, NEW YORK. JOHN WALKER & SONS, Lro., Woisky Distitters, KILMARNOCK, Scortanoy