Life, 1922-04-06 · page 27 of 38
Life — April 6, 1922 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**, but rather a **corporate advertisement** for United States Rubber Company's tire division. The ad argues that tire manufacturers should compete on **quality and reliability** rather than price-cutting. It frames this as an ethical business philosophy: rather than competing destructively, manufacturers should vie for "public confidence," "higher quality," and "dependable service." The ornate decorative border and formal design suggest this appeals to readers' sense of propriety—that competition *should* be gentlemanly and focused on merit. The company boasts of its "fifty-three factories" and status as "the oldest and largest rubber organization in the world." The implicit message: U.S. Tires competes the "right way" and offers the best value. For modern readers, this reflects early 20th-century business rhetoric before aggressive marketing became standard—pitching restraint and quality as competitive advantages rather than undercutting rivals on cost.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE TIRE COMPETITION OF TOMORROW past five years than in almost any other one thing. That so many of these advances originated with the makers of U. S. Tires is per- haps aside from the point. The concern of the car- owner himself is how he is going to benefit. * * * If tire manufacturers make no attempt to outrival each other in quality, where does the tire user get his consideration? The makers of United States Tires urge upon everybody—man- ufacturer and dealer alike—a new kind of competition. For the production of United States Tires there is erected and operating the greatest group of tire factories in the world. A leadership that has recorded itself with the public, The outstanding ex- ample of what faithful quality and sound economy can do when it is patient enough to prove itself to a whole nation. KE U. S. Ray United States @ Rubber Company The Oldest Largest ‘Two hundred and Rubber Ontos in theWorld thirty-five Branches Fifty-three Factories Let us compete for more and more public confidence. Let us compete for higher and higher quality. Let us compete for still more dependable public service. This has been the developed U.S. Policy over a period of many years. Today at present prices U. S. Tires are the biggest money’s worth any motorist ever rode d Tires comicbooks.com