Life, 1923-09-20 · page 31 of 36
Life — September 20, 1923 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **cigarette advertisement**, not political satire. The page features a Pall Mall cigarette ad for a new, longer "economy" size (20 cigarettes for 30¢). The illustration shows three well-dressed men in conversation, likely representing affluent consumers or businessmen—the target audience for "luxury" tobacco products. The image reinforces the ad's pitch: that genuine quality Turkish cigarettes, previously affordable only to the wealthy, are now accessible to ordinary men through this new bulk-value packaging. The copy emphasizes a paradox: that quality need not mean small, expensive packages. By offering 53-inch cigarettes (longer than regulars) at a lower per-unit cost, Pall Mall positioned itself as democratizing luxury. The phrase "Luxury Hour"—an aspirational moment of leisure—appeals to post-work relaxation. This is straightforward commercial messaging from the interwar/Depression era, when price-point marketing and pseudo-democratic appeals were standard advertising strategy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
i Ms Amer atom th 53 inches of Tddsh cigarette satisfaction “The new size PALL MALLS — 20 for 30¢ ew) Try them tonight Sor your Lucury Hour ~that easy chair hour when every man feels entitled to life’s best PALL MALL Specials New size~plain ends only 20 for 30¢ No change in size or price of PALL MALL Regulars [cork tip | It is rare indeed that the best things in life can be purchased on a purely bulk value basis. Genuine quality is seldom to be gauged by the inch, the ounce, or by a strict price measure. Superiority usually comes in small packages. Yet here is the world’s finest cigarette, a blend of the rarest and richest Turkish tobaccos, now offered to you at a price that makes it a great quantity value as well as a quality de- light. The new size Pall Mall, in the special new package, twenty 20 for 30¢ WEST OF THE ROCKIES 20 for35¢ > oe 5 Ma If you have been denying yourself the treat of real Turkish tobacco because of the high cost, forget the old price barriers. They exist no longer! The new Pall Malls are economical! Try these new size Pall Mails tonight, after your evening coffee, and revel in a Luxury Hour. From that time on, Pall Mall will be your reg- ular cigarette. For Pall Malls—in the special new size —are now as easy to buy as they are to smoke. The new “Specials” come in plain ends only. comicbooks.com