nostalgic
Carole Lombard appeared in this Lux ad in 1934, continuing a company tradition of having actresses hawk its soap in magazines, newspapers and radio (that year, it began to sponsor the "Lux Radio Theater," initially in New York, but shifting to Hollywood in 1936, where it became one of the top-rated network programs).
Lux soap has been discontinued in the U.S. for some years now (its corporate owner, Unilever, has shifted its focus in the women's toilet soap market to Dove), but elsewhere it remains a potent brand, and reportedly is the world's top-selling soap despite its absence in America.
The Lux tie-in with film stars continues in some countries, notably India, where the emphasis on glamour and beauty is reminiscent of classic Hollywood of the '30s and '40s. In fact, one of India's top stars has just filmed a Lux commercial that will start airing on Indian TV this Sunday. Her name is Deepika Padukone, 27, statuesque by Indian standards at 5-foot-9. Her look evokes a South Asian version of a young Julia Roberts:
She made the commercial with a frequent co-star, Imran Khan (he's married to someone else -- his childhood sweetheart, in fact -- so don't think these two are an item):
Those of you still interested in Lux's array of products, which go well beyond soap, may want to check out http://www.houseoflux.com, though I'm not sure if any of these items are available in America. (It should be noted that some who have purchased current Lux said via import complain it's formulated differently from the Lux soap they earlier used.)
