Life — November 21, 1918 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Weed Tire Chains Advertisement This is primarily a **safety advertisement for Weed Anti-Skid Tire Chains**, not political satire. The dramatized scenario shows two men on telephones discussing a car accident: one officer informing a negligent car owner that his vehicle skidded on wet pavement, injuring his wife, because he failed to equip it with tire chains. The advertisement's rhetorical strategy uses **fear and guilt**—emphasizing that the owner's negligence nearly caused his wife's death. The message is straightforward: installing tire chains before winter accidents happen prevents injury, death, vehicle damage, and legal liability. This reflects early 20th-century winter driving hazards, when tire chains were essential safety equipment. The ad targets middle-class car owners who might rationalize skipping this precaution.