British hygiene brand Dettol has apologised for an advert in China that it claims was meant to call out sexism, but has instead backfired.
The five‑minute long advert for a multipurpose disinfectant, styled like a micro drama, opens with a man searching for a partner who is “clean” and “not tainted by other men.”
A plot twist arrives late when the new girlfriend confronts him about misogyny and breaks up, after which Dettol is positioned as the cure for “toxic men,” likening them to bacteria.
The clip sparked outrage on Chinese social media, with users accusing it of objectifying women and demanding a boycott of the brand.
Dettol said it had removed the advert following the backlash and that snippets circulated online had distorted its core message. It acknowledged harming many people, especially women, and promised to review its content‑moderation processes.
The company, which was founded to “protect the health” of families, added that safeguarding dignity and equal treatment is also part of its mission.
The piece triggered heated discussion on Weibo and other platforms, with comments branding it “trashy” and accusing senior management of indifference. Users said they would never use Dettol again, citing the many alternatives in the market.
Manya Koetse of the Eye on Digital China newsletter described the campaign as a fiasco for a brand whose whole business revolves around cleanliness, noting that poor messaging led to a spectacular backfire.
Dettol is not new to controversy in China; a previous advert last year similarly drew backlash for implying a woman had been “returned” before her wedding because she was not clean.
Source: Kelly Ng, BBC News, 23 June 2026
