Life, 1921-01-06 · page 35 of 44
Life — January 6, 1921 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward advertisement for United States Rubber Company's tire division, published in *Life* magazine. The full-page ad argues that the company's business success stems from ethical principles: treating dealers and consumers fairly, refusing to artificially inflate dealer inventory, and maintaining quality despite cost-cutting pressures. It frames these practices as morally superior and commercially smart. The ad celebrates tire industry stability after what appears to be a recent period of instability (likely post-WWI economic turbulence). It positions US Rubber as the industry leader precisely *because* it adhered to principles when competitors apparently compromised them. There is no political satire here—this is corporate messaging presenting ethical business conduct as both virtuous and profitable, aimed at reassuring consumers and dealers about the company's reliability and integrity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Sound Business Principles create Business Leadership S the motor car own- ers of America enter the new year and look back over the events of the past twelve or fifteen months in the tire in- dustry, they can not help noticing on the part of dealers everywhere a deeper understanding of the truth of this princple: That in all sound and fundamental business dealings, the interests of dealer and tire user are identical. That without this principle, no business can either be stable or profitable. * * * From the very begin- ning the United States Rubber Company has made this principle the dominating note in its manufacturing and mer- chandising policies. Doing everything in .its power to protect the interests of both the men who sell and the people who use its tires. Refusing time and time again to overstock its dealers which would pass along both to dealers and users the penalties of forced production. Never cheapening the quality of its tires, despite all the opportunities and incentives to do so. * * * Today the United States Rubber Company is enjoying the fruits of its sound business policy. Tire dealers and tire users all over the coun- try are turning to United States Tires as to some- thing they can believe in. The sales of United States Tires are growing and forging ahead faster than ever. And you see the United States Rubber Company assuming and accepting the leadership in the tire industry which its strict adher- ence to sound manufac- turing and merchandis- ing principles has so con- sistently won for it. * * * Straightforward deal- ers who refused to com- promise with their prin- ciples when all around them were weakening, are gaining that measure of public confidence to- day which alone insures success in business. At no time are’ sound business principles so necessary as when all the temptations and ten- dencies of the time are the other way. . And sound principles ultimately create business leadership. United States Tires United States @ Rubber Company Fifty-three Factories The oldest and largest Rubber Organization in the World Two hundred and thirty-five Branches comicbooks.com