Life — October 19, 1928 — page 27: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a perfume advertisement for "Coty L'Aimant" (French for "The Lover"), not political satire. The page promotes a fragrance called "The Magnet," priced at five dollars—a substantial sum in this era. The ad employs the pseudo-scientific language of "magnetism" as a marketing metaphor, promising the perfume will increase personal attraction and appeal. The ornamental cherubs at the top and the decorative box packaging suggest luxury and sophistication. The copy claims only Coty could achieve such concentrated "magnetism" in fragrance form. This reflects early-20th-century advertising's tendency to use fashionable scientific concepts (magnetism, psychology) to sell consumer goods, particularly cosmetics and perfumes marketed to women seeking enhanced attractiveness.