Life, 1929-07-05 · page 33 of 41
Life — July 5, 1929 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **cigarette advertisement**, not satire—it's a genuine Lucky Strike promotion from Life magazine (circa 1920s-30s). The page promotes Lucky Strike cigarettes by claiming they're the choice of experts and millions. Key marketing claims include: the "secret toasting process" prevents throat irritation and cough, and the cigarettes help maintain a "slender figure" (positioning smoking as a diet aid—a common pitch to women at the time). The authority appeals are notable: it cites 20,679 physicians endorsing the product and references accountants verifying these claims, lending false scientific credibility. A smiling man's portrait endorses the brand. **What modern readers should know:** This represents pre-regulation tobacco advertising when health claims were unsubstantiated and unregulated. The "reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet" slogan explicitly marketed cigarettes as appetite suppressants—a tactic targeting weight-conscious consumers, particularly women. Such advertising is now illegal.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life Brutal Sales Policies Brutal and dangerous sales policies of competitors, working an inhuman hardship on the sorely tried tobacco trade, cannot halt the success of Lucky Strike. Lucky Strike, the choice of experts, is now the favorite of millions. Public testimony of those whose voices are precious, of those who keep trim, of those who prize the slender figure of fashion, and 20,679 3% physicians substantiate the benefits of the secret toasting proc- ess. The quality of Lucky Strike merits public approval as it won expert commendation. #The figures quoted have been checked andeertified to by (SIGNED) LYBRAND, ROSS BROS. AND MONTGOMERY, Accountants aod Auditors. President, The American Tobacco Company, Incorporated 66 ry o t’s toaste oi The American $5 aa Tobacco Co, No Throat Irritation- Mancfactorers No Cough. The Lucky Strike Dance Orchestra will continue every Saturday night in a coast to coast radio hook-up over the N. B.C. network. To maintain a slender figure, no one can deny the truth of the advice: “REACH FOR A LUCKY INSTEAD OF A SWEET.” comicbooks.com