Photo: a screenshot of the statement

Dettol on Monday issued an apology statement regarding a controversial short drama advertisement accused of objectifying women and reinforcing outdated gender stereotypes that has triggered widespread public backlash among Chinese netizens.  

The brand claimed that the original video was made by a third-party creator and was intended to criticize gender bias and advocate for equal romantic values, however, clipped online snippets distorted the core message and sparked public uproar.

Dettol said that despite its well-meaning theme, the advertisement offended numerous people, especially women, due to flawed wording and a negligent content review, for which Dettol took full responsibility and offered a sincere apology. The brand also immediately pulled the video offline.

In the statement, Dettol emphasized its respect for everyone's dignity and equal treatment. It pledged to rebuild its content review system and overhaul its content operations to prevent similar controversies from recurring.

The short drama-style advertisement, launched on the brand's social media accounts to promote a laundry disinfectant, drew fierce criticism for framing women's past romantic experiences as "contaminated" or "unclean," while excusing men's previous relationships as acceptable. 

According to screen recordings shared by netizens, the controversial advertisement lasts about five minutes and tells a story about intimate romantic relationships unfolding from the male protagonist's perspective, who breaks up with his girlfriend after learning of her prior cohabitation experience and labels her as "tainted by other men," uttering offensive lines such as "No wonder you're so experienced — someone else trained you before", and "I can have past relationships, but my future wife must not."

Later he praises his new girlfriend by saying "I'm lucky to have met this girl; she's pure and untainted by other men," and "It's not easy to find such an innocent girl," before a late plot twist where his new girlfriend calls him toxic and compares him to bacteria that need to be eliminated to feel at peace. 

Despite the late plot reversal intended to correct the biased viewpoint, the offensive narrative dominated public perception, causing dissatisfaction across Chinese social platforms. 

"I quit watching after just two minutes. The video is toxic to people's minds," wrote an internet user on Xiaohongshu.

"No matter what plot twist comes later, the release of those opening lines shows total disregard and disrespect for women," commented another internet user.

"I'm calling for a boycott. This brand leaves a disgusting taste," said another internet user.

This represents a classic exploitative marketing tactic that deliberately stokes gender division to grab public eyeballs and chase viral traffic, Liu Dingding, an internet industry observer told the Global Times on Monday, noting that from a pure marketing perspective, it delivers so-called "impressive" exposure, yet such short-lived hype inevitably triggers widespread public outrage and severe reputational damage. 

"A good brand needs to pursue both visibility and positive public goodwill. Regrettably, some companies today blindly seek attention at all costs, disregarding brand reputation - a reflection of deeply warped corporate values. Such marketing is utterly inappropriate and poisons public discourse. It is high time for relevant enterprises to overhaul their flawed communication strategies," Liu said.

Global Times