Life — April 12, 1928 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a **Coca-Cola advertisement** disguised as satirical commentary, not a genuine political cartoon. The page shows Roman figures (likely from Shakespeare's *Julius Caesar*) holding Coca-Cola glasses, with the headline "What Shakespeare says about Coca-Cola." The ad claims to quote Shakespeare with "A dish fit for the gods," then riffs on the famous line "Et tu, Brute?" to humorously suggest even the historical Brutus would appreciate Coca-Cola's "Delicious and Refreshing" qualities. The joke relies on anachronism—pretending ancient Romans would have enjoyed modern soft drinks. The "8 million a day" consumption statistic appears designed to suggest Coca-Cola's ubiquity and universal appeal. This represents early 20th-century advertising strategy: using literary references and humor to position a product as cultured and universally desirable.