Dettol has apologised and removed an advertisement in China after its attempt to criticise sexist attitudes drew widespread condemnation for objectifying women and reinforcing the stereotypes it was meant to challenge.
The five-minute video, styled as a short online drama, promoted a laundry disinfectant through a story about a man seeking a partner he considered “clean” and untouched by previous relationships. Although a late plot reversal challenged his views, many viewers said the earlier dialogue dominated the campaign and made an offensive comparison between women’s romantic histories and bacteria.
Advert Removed After Boycott Calls
The video featured a male character who rejected one woman after learning about her previous relationship. He later praised a new girlfriend for being “pure,” before she confronted him over his attitudes and ended the relationship.
Dettol was then presented as a solution against toxic men who were compared with bacteria. The structure was intended to criticise the male character, but critics said the campaign repeated degrading language for most of its duration before revealing that message.
The advertisement quickly became a major discussion topic across Chinese social media. Some users called for a boycott, while others questioned how the content had passed through the company’s approval process.
Dettol said the video had been created by a third-party content producer and was first published on May 24. It added that shorter clips circulating online removed the later plot reversal and distorted the campaign’s intended meaning.
However, the brand accepted responsibility for the original production. It acknowledged that weaknesses in the wording and review process had caused offence, especially among women.
Reckitt Promises Stronger Content Reviews
Dettol said it would rebuild its content-review procedures and strengthen oversight of its marketing operations. The company added that protecting health should also include respecting individual dignity and the right to equal treatment.
The brand is owned by British consumer goods company Reckitt, which sells health and hygiene products in markets worldwide. Dettol was introduced in the 1930s and is now available across more than 120 countries.
China has become an important market for the brand. Reckitt said earlier in 2026 that Dettol’s Activ Botany range had become the leading hygiene brand on TikTok in China during 2025, capturing a 44% market share on the platform.
The controversy shows the risks brands face when using deliberately provocative stories to discuss sensitive social issues. Even when a campaign ends by rejecting discrimination, audiences may still respond negatively if much of the content relies on the same stereotypes it claims to oppose.
Featured image credits: Andrew Gibson via Flickr
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