Life, 1920-04-22 · page 43 of 44
Life — April 22, 1920 — page 43: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page cigarette advertisement**, not satirical content. It promotes Camel brand cigarettes through direct claims and imagery. The ad features a large camel's head as the brand mascot, with a pack of Camels visible below. The headline uses hyperbolic language ("as sure as you are a foot high") to suggest universal appeal—the product will please literally anyone. The body copy makes specific marketing claims: that Camels blend Turkish and domestic tobacco superior to either alone, don't cause unpleasant aftertaste or odor, and won't tire the smoker's taste. It challenges readers to compare Camels with competitors "at any price." **Context for modern readers**: This reflects an era before tobacco health warnings were mandated (pre-1960s). Such ads openly promoted heavy smoking ("liberally you smoke") without acknowledging health risks—a practice that seems shocking today but was standard advertising practice then.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: As sure as you are a foot high you will like this Camel Turkish and Domestic blend! you will prefer Camels smooth, delightful blend of choice Turkish and choice Domes- tic tobaccos to either kind smoked straight ! It gives you an entirely new idea of ciga- rette enjoyment. Camels never tire your taste no matter how liberally you smoke. Because they have a de- sirable, refreshing, mellow body. Camels leave no unpleasant cigaretty after- taste nor unpleasant cigaretty odor. In fact, Camels are so different from any other cigarette you will be won completely. We say frankly—compare Camels with any cigarette in the world at any price! Camels are sold everywhere in scientifically sealed packages of 20 cigarettes for 20 cents; or ten packages (200 cigarettes) in a glassine-paper-covered carton. We strongly recommend this carton for the home or office supply or when you travel, R, J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Winston-Salem, N. C. comicbooks.com