Life — October 25, 1923 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is **primarily a cigarette advertisement** for Lucky Strike tobacco, not a political cartoon. The ad uses a Napoleon reference as its hook: "You know what Napoleon said about the last quarter of an hour!" It claims Napoleon valued the final moments before victory—comparing this to Lucky Strike's "Toasted Process," a 45-minute manufacturing step that allegedly seals in flavor. The "Confessions of a T.B.M." piece on the left is unrelated satirical commentary about urban entertainment preferences—someone humorously admitting they don't attend jazz clubs or cabarets despite living in town. The advertisement's closing tagline—"Change to the brand that never changes"—ironically reflects how cigarette marketing worked: emphasizing consistency and tradition as selling points. This is a straightforward commercial message disguised as clever wit, typical of 1920s advertising strategy.