For decades, Hindustan Unilever’s (HUL) Lifebuoy has been shorthand for hygiene. Its jingle — Lifebuoy hai jahan, tandurusti hai waha — was a promise wrapped in red and white packaging.

Lifebuoy just pulled a classic Bollywood twist—roping in Shah Rukh Khan to headline its latest campaign, marking a shift from health to skincare. The move brings back memories of SRK lounging in ...