Life, 1920-04-22 · page 2 of 44
Life — April 22, 1920 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Michelin Tire Company advertisement**, not political satire. The page warns consumers about counterfeit inner tubes mimicking genuine Michelin Red Inner Tubes. The key message: inferior tubes were being sold in boxes designed to resemble authentic Michelin packaging—exploiting brand recognition through deceptive imitation. The ad urges buyers to carefully examine seals and verify they're purchasing genuine Michelin products. The cartoon figure is **Bibendum**, Michelin's famous mascot (the rotund tire-man character), used here to add brand identity and a somewhat humorous tone to the consumer protection warning. This reflects early 20th-century concerns about product counterfeiting and the growing importance of brand protection as manufacturing and distribution expanded.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Publiabed Weebly by Lile Pubitshiog Company wwe a date ents So! hte Seon i Net LE SPA Mt Oe ag i steted as Second Cid he Post Office De Ap Copyright i au year, Cana, he Writish Posueessone Ratered as Second Clase Matter NY ——— Warning toTube Buyers Nearly all motorists are familiar with the many imitations of Michelin Red Inner Tubes, and with the fact that such imitations have been unsuccessful except as regards color. Failing in imitating Michelin Quality some of these inferior tubes are now being offered in boxes closely resembling the characteristic Michelin box both in design and color. To protect against substitution examine the box carefully being sure that it is sealed and that you are actually getting a Michelin Tube. Michelin Tire Company, Milltown, N. J. Other factories: Clermont-Ferrand, France; London, England; Turin, Italy. Dealers in all parts of the world, comicbooks.com