‘Toxic men are just like bacteria’: Dettol apologises after another ad controversy in China
Dettol has apologised after its China advertisement aimed at challenging sexism sparked outrage online, with critics accusing it of objectifying women and promoting harmful stereotypes.
Dettol has apologised after a China advertisement intended to challenge sexism triggered backlash, with critics accusing the brand of objectifying women and trivialising gender issues.(Credit: Wikimedia Commons) 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”.
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.
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