Life, 1929-03-15 · page 32 of 44
Life — March 15, 1929 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **cigarette advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It's a 1929 Lucky Strike ad featuring Captain George Fried, commander of the S.S. America, endorsing the product based on a real maritime rescue. The ad references an actual 1929 incident where the America rescued 32 men from the sinking ship Florida during a storm. Fried's testimonial claims Lucky Strikes helped revive the rescued sailors and that he personally uses them as a substitute for sweets to maintain health and nerve control during demanding seafaring work. The slogan "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet" was Lucky Strike's actual marketing campaign. Modern readers should note: this represents pre-regulation tobacco advertising that made explicit health claims, framing cigarettes as beneficial for fitness and appetite control—now recognized as completely false and harmful. The ad exploits a genuine heroic rescue to sell cigarettes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
__ teach for a Lucky , “AN S.O.S. from the Florida’! We change our course. We on the ‘America’ strain to arrive in time to rescue the men on their sinking ship, 350 miles away. Through the icy, freezing storm and high seas we plunge on—all speed ahead! Then the night-time rescue, the search lights, the whirling waves, the manoeuvering to get near the Florida’ Finally, the Florida’s’ crew coming off one at a time, pulling themselves through the water on the line our men had thrown them. These 32 men, dazed, many half clothed, needed reviving after their long exposure. Hot coffee, food and Lucky Strikes—these gave new life to many of them and we on board the ‘America,’ crew and passengers alike, found after the strain and struggle that there was nothing quite so comforting and relaxing as the inviting, toasted flavor of Lucky Strikes. Playing this game with ‘Davy’ is ever fascinating, ever thrilling. And we who follow the sea must be ever ready for adventure. Ours is an active life, demanding nerve control and physicz! fitness. In my health pro- gram I have found that Luckies are most important not only because they provide a respite for frazzled nerves and an exhausted body but because whenever I crave anything which is over-fattening, I say to myself, ‘Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet.’ In the toasted flavor of Luckies, I get complete satisfaction. And I find that toasting, by remov- ing the irritants, protects my throat.” George Fried Commander of “S, S. America” “REACH FOR A LUCKY INSTEAD OF A SWEET.” © 1929. The Arericao Tobacco Co. Manufacturers comicbooks.com