Dettol Apologizes Over Controversial China Ad That Backfired on Its Own Anti-Sexism Message

Beijing, June 25, 2026
British hygiene giant Dettol has issued a public apology over a Chinese advertisement that, while intended to challenge gender stereotypes, triggered a fierce backlash and calls for a product boycott.
The five-minute ad, produced to promote the brand’s multipurpose disinfectant, opened with a man searching for a partner who is “clean” and “unspoiled by other men.” The narrative then shifts — his new girlfriend confronts his sexist attitudes and ends the relationship — with Dettol presented as the solution, accompanied by the tagline: “Toxic men are just like bacteria.”
However, short clips of the ad went viral on Chinese social media platforms, stripped of their broader context. Users widely criticized the ad for objectifying women and drawing a troubling parallel between a woman’s so-called “purity” and the product’s disinfecting properties. Many called for a boycott of Dettol products.
In its apology, the company acknowledged: “We recognize this advertisement has offended many people, especially women. We accept full responsibility for the shortcomings in the creation and review of this content.” Dettol added that it would conduct a thorough review of its content production and approval process to prevent similar incidents in the future, reaffirming that “true protection extends beyond physical health to upholding the dignity and right to equal treatment of every individual.”
This is not Dettol’s first controversy in China. Last year, the brand faced similar criticism over an ad containing the line: “The woman was returned right before her wedding — surely because she wasn’t clean” — again drawing accusations of perpetuating harmful and sexist notions about women.