Like the celebrities of today, Louise Brooks’ name and image was used in a number of advertisements and advertising campaigns. Beginning in 1926 with the “Louise Brooks Evening Gown” and running through the LUX soap campaign in the late 1920s and early 1930s, Brooks’ name, image and likeness was used to sell all manner of products and consumer goods — not only in the United States, but also elsewhere around the world. Here is one example.
In 1927, a publicity image from the just released film Now We’re in the Air was used to promote an unrelated feature story which ran in a prominent Michigan newspaper, the Detroit Free Press. Here is what happened. On Saturday, November 18, 1927 the Detroit newspaper ran an advertisement headlined “How Short is a Short Skirt?” This advertisement promoted the appearance of a Sunday feature story in which “Movie Stars, Queen Mary of England, Salvation Army Chiefs, Society Debs, Stenogs, Fashion Experts — all give their answers.” Louise Brooks is pictured in the ad wearing a short skirt, or rather a tutu. Below her is a caption which notes, “Says Louise Brooks, movie darling, ‘Let it be short enough to take advantage of all good points — if any’.” Here is that advertisement.
As far as I have found, this ad is unique to the Michigan newspaper, though the piece which it promotes was not. The feature story, “How Short is a Short Skirt?”, appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Sunday, November 19th — and, it also appeared in a number of other American newspapers throughout the month. In other instances of the article which I have come across, Louise Brooks was used as an illustration — as shown in the clipping from the Detroit Free Press pictured below.
The image of Louise Brooks shown above is, as mentioned, associated with the Paramount film, Now We’re in the Air, which was released in the Fall of 1927. One can read all about the film and that now famous costume in the 2017 book, Now We’re in the Air: A Companion to the Once Lost Film. In the WWI comedy, Brooks plays twins named Griselle & Grisette. Hence the “G” on her circus costume. Why the Detroit Free Press chose Brooks’ likeness to promote this largely unrelated Sunday feature is not hard to guess. At the time, once could say, Brooks’ likeness was in the air.