Life, 1920-10-07 · page 54 of 56
Life — October 7, 1920 — page 54: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **straightforward cigarette advertisement**, not satire. It's a 1920s-era Camel brand ad from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company promoting their product's "quality." The camel imagery (shown carrying cigarette packs) was Camel's actual trademark. The ad uses common period marketing language: claims about "choice Turkish and choice Domestic tobaccos," "mellow mild body," and appeals to sophistication ("smoke-wise"). The colloquial tone ("man alive," "flash a deck") targets everyday smokers. Notably absent: any health warnings—cigarettes were openly advertised without restrictions during this era. **Modern context:** This represents an era when tobacco marketing was completely unrestricted and ubiquitous in mainstream publications like *Life* magazine. The casual product placement and health-claim language that seems absurd today were standard advertising practice.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~-LIFE-: You tell ’em, Camels, you’ve got the quality! ~y ay Camels flavor fits in right! It rings true—just like it rings the bell all day long and all the evening! Camels never tire your taste! They refresh it—and make you keen for another Camel! You can bank on Camels because they have the quality. And, because Camels expert blend of choice Turkish and choice Domestic tobaccos is a revela- tion—it gives Camels their wonderful mellow mild body! And, man alive, how you will prefer Camels to either kind of tobacco smoked straight! When you flash a deck of Camels you tell the world you’re smoke-wise! Camels are sold everywhere in scientifically sealed packages of 20 cigarettes for 20 cents. R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY, Winston-Salem, N. c comicbooks.