Life, 1929-05-31 · page 35 of 36
Life — May 31, 1929 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Packard automobile advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes luxury cars by emphasizing craftmanship and worker loyalty. The page features a photograph of skilled workers assembling a vehicle, accompanying text praising Packard's rigorous hiring and training practices. The famous tagline "Ask the Man Who Owns One" appears at bottom, alongside an illustration of a sleek Packard automobile. The advertisement's message targets affluent buyers by arguing that Packard's quality stems from carefully selected, well-treated, long-tenured craftsmen whose "merit" is "rewarded." This reflects 1920s-era industrial messaging linking worker satisfaction to product excellence—positioning Packard as a prestige brand built by dedicated artisans rather than assembly-line labor. The page contains no political cartoon or satire; it's purely commercial marketing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PACKARD Only where talent and indus- try are rewarded, can the highest standard of quality craftsmanship be maintained Packard men are carefully chosen. Their native skill is enhanced by Packard training. Inspection is rigid, but supervision is friendly and hel ful. Initiative is fostered—aptitude rewarded. Merit may be sure of recognition. The human element is all-important. No other factor—design, engineer- ing, methods or materials —over- shadows craftsmanship in its con- tribution to Packard quality. ASK THE MAN And so at Packard there has been de- veloped an organization of automo- bile artisans, schooled to one standard of quality workmanship—the highest. Thousands of Packard craftsmen have been at their duties for five and more years—hundreds upwards of a decade. Their loyal and intelligent co-operation has helped measurably to build Packard’s priceless reputa- tion for outstanding leadership in the fine car field. WwHO OWNS ONE comicbooks.com