“WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS PROMOTING?”
Public reaction to the latest ad has been swift.
Online, social media users called for a boycott of Dettol products.
“The ad (was) beyond offensive – I don’t know if your apology is even enough to make up for all the offensive misogynism that was expressed,” wrote Weibo user Zhang Xinyi in a comment on Dettol’s official page that was liked more than 300 times.
“I think serious repercussions need to be made,” said another Weibo user with the handle Autumn Bear. “To hit companies where it truly hurts, boycott Dettol – support other brands.”
Liu Dingding, an internet industry observer, told the state-owned Global Times that such marketing was “utterly inappropriate” and “poisons public discourse”. He also called it a “classic exploitative marketing tactic” that “deliberately chases viral traffic”.
While the ad has already been removed, clips of it continue to circulate online.
“What exactly is this meant to be promoting – laundry detergent or misogyny? It’s hard to tell,” wrote Xiaohongshu user Zu Wei.
On Weibo, others criticised the ad’s “sexist tropes” and took issue with repeated references to women’s “cleanliness” and “purity”.
“It’s simply trash,” said one user, adding that it “left me speechless”.
“Objectification isn’t entertainment,” another said, noting the company’s delay in issuing an official apology weeks after the original ad had first aired.
“This was done in very poor taste and says a lot about the company.”
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