Hygiene brand Dettol faces PR crisis in China after ad aimed at critiquing misogyny backfires

British hygiene brand Dettol faced significant backlash in China for an perceived as objectifying women, prompting an apology and the removal of the commercial.Legal experts indicate it may have violated local laws and could face potential penalties.Dettol issued an apology on June 22 regarding its latest advert for laundry sanitiser.The four-minute commercial, presented as a micro-drama, was released in late May but gained notoriety on Chinese social media after segments were widely shared by online bloggers, according to Dahe News.Lines spoken by the male character, such as “Do you know how to tell whether your girlfriend has lived with other men before?”, “I may not be a virgin myself, but my future wife has to be,” and “It is good that my girlfriend is clean, having not been polluted by other men,” sparked outrage, with many internet users criticising it for promoting distorted values and harmful concepts regarding dating and marriage.Lines spoken by the male character include, “I may not be a virgin myself, but my future wife must be,” and “It is reassuring that my girlfriend is clean, having not been tainted by other men,” which sparked outrage. Photo: ShutterstockThe complete version of the advert is largely inaccessible online in mainland China after the company retracted it in response to public outcry.A clip viewed by the SCMP on a Hong Kong website depicted a man who initially lived happily with his girlfriend until he discovered her history of cohabitation.“Why didn’t you tell me you have lived with other men before? Why don’t you care about your own reputation?” he questioned, abruptly deciding to end the relationship.He subsequently became involved with a woman whom he described as “pure as white paper.”Despite having dated over 10 women, he boasted to his friend about finally finding a woman who had not had sex before meeting him.Throughout his dialogues with his current girlfriend, he often labelled his ex-partners as “dirty” for having been intimate with other men and criticised them for wearing revealing clothing.He also expressed that a woman’s chastity was a man’s “war trophy.”Further ReadingIn the advert’s conclusion, the current girlfriend becomes fed up with him, declaring, “toxic men are like germs, and we should use Dettol sanitiser to eliminate them.”Dettol stated that the was produced by a third-party supplier.The ad blunder was met with shock and condemnation across China, leading to calls for a boycott of the brand. Photo: Shutterstock“The narrative featuring a plot twist aimed at conveying the message that people should break free from unequal views on gender. It advocates for healthy and confident attitudes towards relationships and lifestyle,” the company explained in its statement.Dettol added that the segments circulating online misrepresented the ad’s original meaning, which led to the controversy.“The plot intended to criticise gender bias ended up offending many women. We accept responsibility for the inappropriate content and failure to adequately review it,” stated Dettol.The incident was met with shock and condemnation across China, with calls for a boycott of the brand surfacing.“Who would use the word ‘dirty’ to describe someone’s past relationships? Does this man come from the 19th century?” asked one internet user.“I will no longer purchase their products,” declared another.“Didn’t anyone within the company notice the problematic content before it was released? What a ridiculous company!” remarked a third.Modern Chinese culture has evolved; traditional moral expectations have shifted, and premarital cohabitation is now widely accepted. Photo: ShutterstockLi Zhenwu, a lawyer from Shanghai Lizhen Law Firm, told Dahe News that the advert was suspected of violating China’s Law due to its gender-discriminatory content.Lin Feiran, a lawyer from Beijing Jindu Law Firm, noted that the commercial also breached the country’s Women’s Rights Protection Law, as it degraded women’s personal dignity.“It applies double standards by suggesting it’s acceptable for men to have lived with other women before, while it should be the first experience for a woman. It also stigmatises women’s relationship history and objectifies them,” Lin stated.“Such content, which undermines women’s dignity, exemplifies gender discrimination violations,” she added.According to Lin, the advertiser could incur a fine ranging from 200,000 to one million yuan (US$30,000 to US$150,000) if authorities determine the offence to be serious.