Life, 1920-05-20 · page 2 of 48
Life — May 20, 1920 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **Michelin tire advertisement**, not political satire. It features the Michelin Man (Bibendum), the company's famous mascot—a rotund, anthropomorphic figure made of tire treads—positioned inside a tire cutaway illustration. The ad promotes the "Universal Cord" tire with three selling points: superior tread-compound durability, improved skid resistance, and a sturdy oversize cord body. The Michelin Man's presence is purely branding; there is no cartoon or political commentary. The only noteworthy element for historical context is the mascot itself—already an established advertising icon by 1920 (Bibendum debuted in 1898)—demonstrating how early 20th-century advertising used distinctive character mascots to build brand recognition.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MICHELIN | UNIVERSAL -“ARD The Michelin Universal Cord, the newest product of the oldest pneumatic automo- bile tire manufacturer, is the best tire for your car for three reasons: 1st The new Michelin tread-compound offers unequalled resistance to the destructive effects of friction, heat, moisture and age. The improved Michelin tread de- sign effectively opposes skidding in any direction. It further increases the durability of the tire by retain- ing the broad, flat traction-surface introduced by Michelin a few years ago and since so widely copied. The super-sturdy oversize body is built up of cords that are not mere- ly coated but actually impregnated with rubber, forming a_ tremen- dously tough, resiliert mass assur- ing greatest freedom from blowouts. If you are not yet a Michelin user, just give the Michelin Universal Cord a trial. That is all we ask. Michelin Tire Co., Milltown, N Other factories: Clermont-Ferrand, London, England; Tarin, Italy Dealers in all p the world A Sturdy Oversize Cord Tire that Establishes a New Stand- ard for x Supreme Durability and Freedom from Skidding Ee Ge comicbooks.com