Dettol’s “Toxic Men” Ad Sparks Backlash in China
British hygiene giant Dettol stepped back with a public apology after a five‑minute micro‑drama, aimed at calling out sexism, was met with furious criticism on Chinese social media. The clip, which compared a man’s “clean” personality to a disinfectant bottle, was accused of objectifying women and reinforcing harmful gender roles.
Overwhelmed by negative comments, the company removed the ad and said it had misjudged how the footage would be interpreted. “We recognise it has offended many people, especially women,” Dettol said in a statement. It pledged to review its content moderation process to avoid similar incidents.
The incident adds to a string of marketing missteps for the Reckitt‑owned brand in China, where it previously faced backlash over a “clean” wedding line. Followers on Weibo and other platforms called for a boycott and decried the company’s perceived sexism.
