British hygiene brand Dettol has apologized for a controversial advertisement in China that was intended to criticize sexism but instead sparked widespread outrage. The five-minute micro-drama style ad for a multipurpose disinfectant featured a man seeking a 'clean' partner 'untainted by other men'.

The plot twist reveals the man's misogyny when his new girlfriend breaks up with him, and Dettol is presented as a solution against 'toxic men like bacteria'. However, the ad backfired, with Chinese internet users accusing the brand of objectifying women and calling for a boycott.

Dettol removed the ad and issued a statement acknowledging it 'offended many people, especially women' and taking responsibility for negligence in content creation and review. The company also pledged to review its content moderation processes.

Dettol claimed the ad was meant to criticize gender stereotypes but said snippets circulated online distorted its core message. This is not the first controversy for Dettol in China; last year, it faced backlash for an ad with the line: 'The woman was 'returned' just before her wedding; it must be because she was not clean.'

Source: www.bbc.co.uk