‘Toxic men are just like bacteria’: Dettol apologises after another ad controversy in China 

Posted on by Taiwo Adebulu

2 min readDelhiJun 24, 2026 02:58 PM IST

The globally recognised British hygiene brand Dettol has issued an apology for an advertisement in China that was intended to call out sexism but instead sparked outrage and faced widespread backlash, the BBC reported.

The five-minute advertisement for a multipurpose disinfectant, begins with a man searching for a partner who is “clean” and “not tainted by other men”. However, a plot twist comes later in the advert when his new girlfriend confronts him over his misogynistic views and breaks up with him. Dettol is then presented as the solution, with the message that “toxic men are just like bacteria”.

full video clips here

The advertisement triggered public outrage on Chinese social media platforms. Some users said it objectified women, while others called for a boycott of the brand. Many were angered by the advert’s attempt to compare a person’s “purity” with the disinfecting abilities of Dettol products.

What Dettol had to say 

In its defence, the brand said the advertisement was intended to condemn gender stereotypes and that clips from it that were later circulated on social media had been taken out of context, distorting its core message. It added that the advert had been removed following the backlash.

“We recognize that it has offended many people, especially women. We take responsibility for any negligence in creating and reviewing the content of the advert,” Dettol said.

The company also said it would review its content operations process.

The hygiene brand said it was founded with the core purpose of “protecting the health” of families, adding: “But we are well aware that true protection also lies in safeguarding the dignity of every individual and their right to be treated equally.”

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Last year’s Ad Controversy

This is not the first time Dettol has found itself at the center of controversy in China. 

It had drawn backlash last year with an advertisement that featured the line: “The woman was ‘returned’ just before her wedding; it must be because she was not clean.” 

(The article has been curated by Seekriti Saha, who is an intern at The Indian Express) 

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