Life — June 28, 1928 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is **not a political cartoon or satire**—it's a **straightforward advertisement** for Dunlop tires from the Dunlop Tire & Rubber Company (Buffalo, N.Y.). The page promotes Dunlop's market dominance: 26 million tires in service, with strong market share in Australia (75%), Japan (65%), and England (70%). It emphasizes the company's manufacturing scale—45,000 craftsmen, vast rubber plantations, and spinning mills. The illustration depicts an oversized Dunlop tire dominating a miniaturized landscape labeled "Dunlop City," symbolizing the company's vast global operations (stated to cover 100,000 acres if consolidated). The sales pitch: Dunlop's longevity and popularity guarantee they'll "pay you on your car"—meaning their durability justifies the cost. This is standard early-20th-century brand advertising emphasizing scale and reliability.