Life, 1929-08-02 · page 31 of 40
Life — August 2, 1929 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **cigarette advertisement**, not satire—though it reads as darkly ironic today. The page features "Popular Actress" Helen Hayes endorsing Lucky Strike cigarettes with the slogan "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet." **The pitch:** Smoking suppresses appetite and maintains slenderness (a major selling point for women in the 1920s). The ad claims Lucky Strikes are "less irritating" due to a "toasting process" that removes impurities—pseudo-scientific marketing designed to address health concerns about smoking. **What's missing:** No warning labels, no mention of genuine health risks. The testimonial from "20,679 physicians" is unverified and almost certainly fabricated. **Context:** This represents early tobacco industry marketing directly targeting women's anxieties about appearance, predating later explicit health warnings by decades. The celebrity endorsement adds social prestige to the product.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
To maintain a slender figure, no one can deny the truth of the advice : “REACH FOR A LUCKY INSTEAD OF A SWEET.” A Milestone Lucky Strike represents a milestone in the progress of ciga- rette manufacture. The toasting process makes pacey Strike the brand of distinction, and, in the opinion of 20,67 * physicians, is the reason Luckies are less irritating. No other cigarette enjoys this secret heat treatment which removes im- purities and irritants, produces a flavor beyond comparison and assures the smoker the maximum of delightful smoking pleasure and comfert. (SIGNED) #The figures quoted have 4 been checked andeertified to by LYBRAND, ROSS BROS. AND President, MONTGOMERY, Accountants ‘The American Tobacco and Auditors, Company, Incorporated The Lucky Strike Dance Orchestra will continue every Saturday night in a coast to coast radio hook-up over the N. B. C. network. A SWEET? | comicbooks.com