Life — October 2, 1919 — page 47: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a cigarette advertisement, not political satire. The ad promotes "Rameses II" cigarettes, marketed as "The Aristocrat of Cigarettes" and described as Egyptian and Turkish tobacco products made by Stephano Bros., Inc. (Philadelphia). The imagery depicts ornate cigarette boxes arranged in a pastoral landscape with a mansion, emphasizing luxury and sophistication. The tagline "Nobody Ever Changes from Rameses" promises brand loyalty through superior quality. The "Aristocrat" positioning and Egyptian references suggest the cigarettes targeted affluent consumers. The ad represents early 20th-century marketing that associated cigarettes with elegance and status—claims that would be heavily regulated or prohibited in modern advertising due to health concerns cigarettes pose.