Life — December 1934 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Listerine Tooth Paste Advertisement This is a vintage advertisement, not political satire. The page promotes Listerine Tooth Paste to wealthy women by depicting an elegantly dressed woman wearing an expensive fur coat and fashionable hat, positioned alongside images of luxury items: an automobile, an ornate interior staircase, and jewelry. The headline's implicit message: even wealthy, cultured women use this inexpensive 25¢ toothpaste. The ad emphasizes "direct cleansing" action and claims users will "feel the difference" within a week, with visibly whiter teeth. The copy targets affluent readers by flattering their status while suggesting that good oral care doesn't require expensive products—a sales pitch designed to appeal to both economy-minded consumers and status-conscious buyers in the interwar period.