Life — November 18, 1920 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Michelin Universal Cord Advertisement This is a **Michelin tire advertisement**, not political satire. The page features Michelin's famous mascot, Bibendum (the Michelin Man)—a rotund character made of stacked tire rings, wearing a checkered scarf and bowler hat. The ad's humor relies on visual contrast: the enormous, jovial tire-man towers over a small automobile on a city street, emphasizing tire durability and reliability. The tagline "Sure footed on all roads and in all kinds of weather" promotes Michelin Universal Cord tires as dependable for any driving condition. This represents early automotive advertising (circa 1920s-1930s based on the car style), when Bibendum was already an established brand icon, using exaggeration and whimsy to market industrial products to consumers.