Life, 1929-05-31 · page 36 of 36
Life — May 31, 1929 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Coca-Cola advertisement**, not political satire. The page depicts two working-class men (appears to be a factory worker and a motorcycle/roadster driver) sharing a Coca-Cola break, with the slogan "the high-sign of refreshment." The ad's appeal targets early 20th-century American values: it emphasizes that Coca-Cola unites men across social classes ("all men show their friendly, sociable side"), promotes efficiency and productivity ("pep and pick-up"), and assures purity through modern industrial processes ("automatic machines, without the touch of human hands"). The boast of "over 8 million a day" consumption suggests mass popularity as proof of quality. This reflects the era's faith in mass production and industrial standardization as markers of trustworthiness—a selling point that would resonate differently to modern readers, who often worry about industrial processing and human oversight in manufacturing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
high -sion of refreshment . ‘OU never need go far or wait long! View up, and you'll catch the high-sign of refreshment—a red flash to stop for a minute, pause for an ice-cold Coca-Cola, and be off with all the pep and pick-up of a sport roadster. ~ w~ w In answer to the signal, all men show their friendly, sociable side. Everybody thinks alike about an ice- cold Coca-Cola. The care with which IT HAD TO BE GOOD OVER © MLLLION The Coce-ola Company, Ailanta, Gas it is prepared makes it pure as sunlight. The wholesome zest of its tingling, delicious taste and cool after-sense of refreshment makes a little minute long enough for a big rest. THE BEST SERVED DRINK IN THE WORLD A pure drink of natural flavors served ice-cold in its own bottle—the distinctive Coca-Cola bottle. Every bottle is ster- ilized, filled and sealed airtight by automatic machines, without the touch of human hands— insuring purity and wholesomeness. TO GET WHERE IT IS A DAY. comicbooks.com