Full-page vintage LIFE magazine advertisement for Fatima cigarettes, dated January 22, 1920. The upper portion features a framed painted portrait of a middle-aged bearded man in a brown suit, seated and holding eyeglasses, presented as a physician. Beneath the portrait is a block of text describing doctors as careful, discerning smokers and suggesting that Fatima is “a sensible cigarette.” Large decorative text at the bottom reads “FATIMA” with the tagline “A Sensible Cigarette.” A CSTS attribution mark appears at lower right.
Before Camel made doctor endorsements famous, cigarette advertisers were borrowing medical authority.
This 1920 Fatima ad uses physician imagery and careful-smoking language to make the brand seem credible and “sensible.” #CSTS #TobaccoHistory #MedicalHistory #AdvertisingHistory #SmokingAndHealth