Dettol Has Apologized After It Released An Ad In China Accused Of Sexism Over Its Focus On Women’s “Purity”

British hygiene brand Dettol has sparked widespread backlash in China after it released an advertisement that was criticized for its offensive handling of gender issues.

The five-minute ad for Dettol’s disinfectant is narrated from the first-person perspective of a male protagonist, who says women with previous relationship experience are “contaminated”, while describing his new girlfriend, who has no prior dating experience, as “clean” and “not tainted by other men”.

In the video, he confronts one girlfriend about being in a previous relationship, calling her "disgusting" and without "self-respect" for living with another guy for so long, which leads her to break up with him.

" I haven't even complained about her being dirty," he said, adding “I may not be a virgin, but my future wife has to be.”

He then meet another "clean" woman, who was "not tainted by other men," saying he wants a partner who is “like a blank sheet of paper” and that he would “tolerate” her even if she was “a bit pretentious”.

A plot twist then happens at the end of the ad when his new girlfriend breaks up with him after he told her, “You have no idea how dirty my ex-girlfriend was.”

Dettol’s product is then shown on screen, with the woman saying ”toxic men are just like bacteria” and Dettol's disinfecting power will "destroy them" for peace of mind.

Despite the twist, many people criticized the ad for objectifying women and equating women’s “purity” with physical cleanliness, calling for a boycott of the brand.

Dettol has since removed the ad and apologized following the backlash.

The company later wrote in a statement on June 22 that the ad was intended to criticize gender stereotypes and call out misogyny but acknowledged flaws in its content and review processes.

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