Life — November 13, 1931 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Gifts You Get" - Metropolitan Life Insurance Advertisement This is a **corporate advertisement**, not satire. Metropolitan Life Insurance uses the heading "The Gifts You Get" to frame charitable organizations as invisible benefactors during the Christmas season. The illustration shows a man and woman examining Christmas gifts together. The text argues that while people receive tangible presents, they should recognize the "priceless gifts" provided by volunteer organizations: the Red Cross, welfare organizations, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and medical researchers combating disease. The ad's point is philanthropic messaging—encouraging readers to support these organizations (notably mentioning Red Cross buttons and Christmas Seals) while subtly associating Metropolitan Life with civic goodness. This was common Depression-era corporate messaging promoting charitable giving and social responsibility.