Key facts
- Dettol apologized for a Chinese advertisement that was criticized as sexist and objectifying.
- The advert, intended to challenge unequal gender attitudes, featured a man seeking a 'clean' partner.
- The ad was withdrawn after widespread backlash and calls for a boycott on Chinese social media.
- Dettol stated it takes responsibility for negligence in content creation and review processes.
British hygiene brand Dettol has apologized after an advertisement released in China, intended to criticize "toxic men", was widely condemned on social media as offensive to women and objectifying. The five-minute advert, released across multiple online platforms at the end of May, featured a man expressing a desire for a "clean and untouched" future wife, likening his ex-partner to "secondhand service." The micro drama concluded with his new girlfriend calling out his misogyny and breaking up with him, before Dettol was presented as a solution to eliminate "toxic men" like germs.
Dettol withdrew the advert on Sunday following widespread criticism and calls for a boycott. In its apology, the company stated the promotion aimed to "challenge unequal gender attitudes and promote healthy, confident views on relationships and lifestyles," but acknowledged that edited clips circulating online had distorted the original message. Dettol, owned by British multinational Reckitt, took responsibility for any negligence in creating and reviewing the content, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding individual dignity and equality. The topic garnered over 80 million views on Chinese social media platform Weibo as of Tuesday.