Life, 1917-06-21 · page 29 of 38
Life — June 21, 1917 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire** — it's a straightforward product advertisement for Republic Tires, published in *Life* magazine (page 1081). The ad claims that a freight car shortage created an unintended marketing opportunity: dealers drove cars long distances over poor roads to retrieve vehicles from factories. Republic Tires allegedly arrived with minimal wear, demonstrating superior durability compared to competitors. The advertisement emphasizes the "Prödium Process," which allegedly made rubber "close-grained" and wear-resistant like steel. It frames dealers as "disinterested" witnesses to the tires' quality—suggesting independent validation rather than company claims. **Modern context**: This reflects early 20th-century industrial competition and the emerging importance of automobiles. The ad uses a real logistical problem (freight shortage) as credible real-world testing to build brand reputation—an early form of what we'd now call "authentic marketing."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Wear-Resistance Of a Remarkable Sort, Demon- strated by Dealers’ Drive-Away From Motor Car Factories HE freight car shortage has had one un- looked-for effect. It has furnished further proof that Prédium Process does make Republic Tires last longer. Thousands of cars were driven away from the factor- ies, over very bad roads, by dealers from a dozen states. Republic Tires were always conspicuous at the end of the journey by their fresh, unworn appearance. They arrived—after a terrific siege in most cases— with the Staggard Tread scarcely rubbed. You may recall what we have said of the toughening effect of the Prddium Process. It renders the rubber more close-grained and less porous. The surface wears down more evenly and more slowly. As we have said, it can only be compared to steel in the uniformity of its resistance to wear. The dealers’ drive-away merely confirmed the general experience of Republic users. But it was a dramatic demonstration, widely adver- tised by disinterested people. The facts about Republic Tires are becoming better known now. As fast as we can replenish dealers’ stocks, they are exhausted. In a short time people will never think of Republic Tires without also thinking of superior quality—longer life. We are striving earnestly to meet the demand which this spontaneous public approval has created. Republic Black-Line Red Inner Tubes have @ reputation for freedom from trouble The Republic Rubber Company, Youngstown, Ohio Originator of the First Effective Rubber Non-Skid Tire Republic Staggard Tread par 30m 19-22-1908 BLIC TIRES | comichooks feyn)