Life, 1929-03-08 · page 43 of 44
Life — March 8, 1929 — page 43: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **luxury automobile advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes the Packard Eight motorcar by linking its quality to global exploration and material sourcing. **The Visual Narrative**: The top illustration depicts explorers/adventurers discovering exotic materials worldwide—establishing Packard's claim that their cars use premium materials sourced "from the ends of the earth: fine fabrics, choice woods, rich leathers and rare ores." **The Sales Pitch**: The text romanticizes material acquisition as an ongoing "hunt," positioning Packard's 30-year commitment to sourcing quality as evidence of superiority. The phrase "Ask the man who owns one" was Packard's actual advertising slogan, implying satisfied customers as proof of excellence. **Historical Context**: This appears from the interwar/early Depression era when luxury car marketing emphasized craftsmanship and exclusivity to affluent buyers. The "romance of exploration" reflects period fascination with global discovery and imperial-era resource extraction. **No satire is present**—this is straightforward corporate advertising celebrating conspicuous consumption.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PACKARD For centuries man has combed the farthest cor- ners of the earth for new and precious materials The romance of exploration and dis- covery still lives—in modern industry. The search for new and better materials to serve the needs of men still goes on. Packard for 30 years has pressed the thrilling hunt which has tracked down the thousand things required to make a Packard what it is. Packard materials come from the ends of the earth—from wherever the best may be found in fine fabrics, choice AS K THE MAN woods, rich leathers and rare ores. Packard quality standards, in both ma- terial and workmanship, become yearly more exacting. Improvement goes ever forward. So it is that the Packard Eight today surpasses in excellence of materials, as in craftsmanship and design, all of its famous forebears. Increasing patronage indicates the world’s appreciation of what Packard stands for in motor cars. wHoO OoOwWwWN S ONE comicbooks.com