History: Esso The Giant Power Fuel (1929 Advertisement)

The 16 Aug 1929 edition of The Matawan Journal contained the above advertisement for the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. The company was lauding the virtues of its Esso gasoline in what looks to me to be a rather sexually suggestive ad, both in wording and image.

I've rendered the text of the ad below:

ESSO THE GIANT POWER FUEL
Smoothes Out The Hill Roads And Gives You Greater Power

For Esso is a red giant for power. More pent-up energy than a swollen river or a cyclone. But Esso is flexible power. Throttle down to a lazy crawl. Or open up to seventy. It's all the same to Esso.

Of course, Esso has the best anti-knock qualities. But it does more than cut out motor "pings". Gives new life to any car.

And there is only one Esso - uniform in quality - sold at thousands of silver Esso pumps with Esso shields. You can't mistake the name or the results.

Esso contains tetra-ethyl-lead.

STANDARD OIL COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY