Life — July 1933 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Canada Dry's Sparkling Water Advertisement (1933) This is a **product advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes Canada Dry's sparkling water during Prohibition's final year (note the copyright 1933 date). The ad's humor targets the "water" problem: during Prohibition, sparkling water was marketed as a mixer for illegal alcohol. The headline "Cent Sibs!" (likely "Cent Jibs" or similar) plays on this absurdity. The key sales pitch emphasizes the product's *volume*—"twice as much water" in a "big bottle" at 1933 prices (20 cents plus 5-cent deposit). The copy stresses carbonation quality, relevant since Prohibition would end in December 1933, making legal beverage preparation suddenly important. The stylized woman and product imagery represent typical 1930s advertising design.