Life — May 19, 1921 — page 29: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is **not a cartoon or satire**, but rather a **full-page advertisement** for Lord Salisbury Turkish Cigarettes by the American Tobacco Company. The ad makes an early consumer-protection pitch: it guarantees satisfaction with a money-back promise. Customers could test the cigarettes in any store and return them if unsatisfied. The company emphasizes these are "the only high grade Turkish cigarette in the world that sells for so little money"—positioning them as affordable luxury. The appeal to try before committing ("It will pay you to try") and the detailed refund instructions (including a backup process if dealers refused) represent an aggressive early advertising strategy meant to overcome buyer hesitation about an unfamiliar brand. There is no political satire or social commentary here—it's straightforward period advertising using the language and guarantees typical of early 20th-century cigarette marketing.