In brief
Dettol’s new campaign, designed to shine a light on sexism, turned into an offense when viewers compared women’s purity with the soap’s disinfecting strength. The 5‑minute advert, which portrays men as “toxic” like bacteria, was criticised for objectifying women and encouraging a boycott of the brand. In response, the company removed the video, apologized and pledged to improve its content review system. The incident follows a prior controversy over a similar ad that linked a woman’s marriage prospects with her ‘cleanliness’. A move that puts the company’s marketing credibility to the test in China.
British hygiene brand Dettol apologised after a five‑minute advert, intended to argue against sexism, was perceived as objectifying women and comparing their purity to a disinfectant. The clip, which depicts a male character as a bacterial “toxic man”, was removed following a backlash that called for a boycott on Chinese social media platforms.
In a statement released Monday, the company admitted it had “offended many people, especially women” and acknowledged neglect in reviewing the content. Dettol pledged to review its content moderation processes and emphasise its core mission of protecting health while safeguarding dignity and equality for all.
The viral outrage echoed previous criticism, when a campaign advert described a woman as “returned” before her wedding because she was not clean. Experts note that the message’s poor framing caused the campaign to backfire spectacularly, while it had been intended to challenge male misogyny.
Manya Koetse of the Eye on Digital China described the campaign as “quite a mess for a brand whose business revolves around cleanliness”. She added that even if the intent was to present the male protagonist in the wrong, the messaging was poorly executed. Comments from users ranged from expressions of outrage to calls for stopping the use of Dettol products in China altogether.
