Life, 1927-12-29 · page 27 of 41
Life — December 29, 1927 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Christmas advertisement** for Lee Tires (not political satire). The page presents an idealized 1920s-30s holiday scene showing well-dressed women exchanging wrapped gifts near automobiles. The advertisement's pitch hinges on a sentimental philosophy: Christmas is better about *giving* than receiving. Lee Tires claims to embody this spirit—they've put "ourselves and our spirit" into their product, so buying Lee Tires becomes a gift of "good will toward men." The actual sales message is subtle: Lee Tires aren't chasing lucrative equipment contracts with manufacturers; they position themselves as the *owners'* choice, appealing to individual car buyers selecting their own tires as gifts or improvements. The featured "Shoulderbilt" heavy-duty balloon tire is showcased as fitting "any rim and any car." For modern readers: this reflects pre-Depression consumer culture marketing, where brands attempted emotional connection through moral philosophy rather than technical specs alone. The phrase "cost no more to buy—much less to run" emphasizes value and economy, key selling points during economic uncertainty.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life MERRY CHRISTMAS. LEE® ou find, as you grow up, that after all, the best thing about Christmas is giving, rather than getting. The pleasure you get largely depends on the pleasure and benefit you give. a sort of Christmas feeling toward the people who use our tires. We've given something more than rubber and fabric; we've puta little of ourselves and our spirit into them. When you ride on Lee Tires you're riding on good will toward men; it’s in the tires. If every car given as a Christmas gift could be equipped with Lee Tires, the gift would have a new quality. But we choose not to bid for equipment business. Lee Tires are “owners” choice”. Some day, maybe, the manufacturers will see LEE Shoulderbilt “Heavy Duty” Balloon tire of unques- on : tioned merit, to fit any rim and any car. Oh: well, let’s forget thar— Merry Christmas to you. T r ~ he Lee dealer will show it to you. Lee Tire & Rubber Company Conthohockeny/Pa: COST NO MORE TO BUY ~ MUCH LESS TO the wisdom of — comicbooks.com