Life, 1922-08-17 · page 29 of 36
Life — August 17, 1922 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward **advertisement** for U.S. Royal Cord Tires from the United States Rubber Company. The ad defends Royal Cords against market criticism. Competitors apparently claimed consumers were demanding cheap tires during an economic downturn (likely the early 1920s recession). U.S. Rubber counters this by arguing Royal Cords' *increasing* sales prove Americans actually value quality over price. The ad emphasizes the tire's distinctive white sidewall stripe, scientific tread design (patented seven years prior), and widespread adoption across vehicle makes—positioning it as the market leader. The large tire illustration and cityscape background serve to showcase the product's prominence and prestige. This is corporate messaging defending market position against lower-priced competitors, not political satire or humorous commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Makers of U.S. Royal Cords Beg to State — OT quite seven years ago the U. S. Royal Cord Tire was announced to the public. People who saw it remarked on the beauty of the tread design, which is protected by U. S. Let- ters Patent. The same design that since then has proved itself the most scien- tific tread pattern ever put ona pneumatic tire. To identify this superlative tire under all conditions — whether running or stationary — Royal Cord makers adopted as a trade mark a circumferential white stripe placed on each sidewall. Today, Royal Cord beauty and identity is so known and dis- tinguished that even a newsboy can spot one whisking around the corner. And car-owners everywhere look upon a Royal Cord as the measure of all automobile tire values. * * According to some tire dealers and manufacturers the public has been hav- ingoneof its “price spells” and demands cheap tires. Current prices on United States Passenger Car Tires and Tubes are not subject to Federal ExciseTax, the tax having been included. This is contrary to the facts. Otherwise Royal Cords wouldn’t keep gaining and gain- ing and gaining in sales to qual- ity people. And—you wouldn’t see Royal Cords on so many cars of every make in the country. Nor—if Americans were on record for cheaply made and cheaply priced tires—would they award the leadership of the tire business to the Royal Cord Tire. U. S. Rayal Cord Tires United States @ Rubber Company The Oldest and Largest Two hundred and Rubber Organization in the World thirty-five Branches comicbooks.com