Lifebuoy, the soap brand owned by Hindustan Unilever, targeted the people most at risk of infections preventable by good hand hygiene to increase sales in rural India. In India, seven out of ten ...

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's goal has been to futureproof the world against infectious diseases by championing the proven preventative habit of handwashing with soap. While hand-hygiene received unprecedented attention ...