British hygiene brand Dettol has apologized after a Chinese advert that it intended to warn against sexism was widely criticised for being misogynistic.
The five‑minute clip, styled as a micro‑drama, opens with a man searching for a partner who is “clean” and “not tainted by other men”. At the climax, his new girlfriend confronts him for being misogynistic and breaks up, after which Dettol is marketed as the antidote to “toxic men”, likening them to bacteria.
The advert sparked instant backlash on Chinese social media. Some users accused it of objectifying women, while others called for a boycott of the brand. Images of the clip were shared with captions criticising the comparison of a person’s purity to a disinfectant product.
Dettol removed the advert following the uproar and issued a statement saying it had “offended many people, especially women.” It said it would review its content moderation processes and emphasised its commitment to protecting both health and dignity.
Repeated controversy has followed Dettol in China. In 2025 the brand faced criticism for an ad that suggested a woman was “unclean” before her wedding, and in 2024 another campaign described men as ‘toxic’ without clear negative framing.
Experts weigh in. Manya Koetse, editor of the Eye on Digital China newsletter, described the campaign as “quite a mess for a brand that revolves around cleanliness”. She added that even with a male protagonist in the wrong, the message was poorly delivered.
