Life, 1921-12-15 · page 29 of 34
Life — December 15, 1921 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **cigarette advertisement** for Omar brand, disguised as editorial content in Life magazine (circa 1921). The "joke" is wordplay: "Omar Omar" sounds like "Aroma," which the ad emphasizes repeatedly. T.L. Masson, the magazine's editor, is featured holding an Omar cigarette—lending editorial credibility to the product placement. The advertisement boasts of Omar's blend: thirteen Turkish tobacco varieties and six domestic types. A money-back guarantee is offered. The sidebar reference to "Bread and Butter / Gilbert and Sullivan / and OMAR and AROMA" attempts to position cigarette-smoking alongside beloved cultural touchstones as an expected life pleasure. **Context for modern readers**: This represents early-1920s advertising before cigarette regulation. The casual product placement by a magazine editor, the pseudo-editorial framing, and the explicit brand-building through wordplay would be prohibited or heavily restricted today.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Actual photograph of hand of T. L. Masson—Editor of ** Life”* —holding an OMAR, © w21, 0.7. 00. “Tom Masson holding an OMAR ~ this is the rf FE Omar Omar spells Aroma * Omar Omar 7s Aroma Aroma makes a cigarette; They’ve told you that for years Smoke Omar for Aroma. Thirteen kinds of choice Turkish and iw dene wscenie— six kinds of selected Domestic tobaccos Merry Christmas and are blended to give Omar its delicate a Happy New Year and distinctive Aroma. Bread and Butter Gilbert and Sullivan and OMAR and AROMA. Ke Wmvritan, MeceeG —which means that if you don’t like OMAR CIGARETTES you can det your money back from the dealer comicbooks.com