Dettol issued an apology for an advertisement released in China and withdrew the promotion on Sunday. The advertisement had been released across multiple online platforms at the end of May.

The five-minute advertisement featured a man comparing his current girlfriend with his former partner. A character in the advertisement stated that his former girlfriend had previously lived with someone else and likened his previous relationship to a "secondhand service." The character also stated an intention to find a woman for whom he could be the first sexual partner, saying, "I may not be a virgin, but my future wife has to be." The character further stated, "Luckily, I met her now, she's clean and hasn't been contaminated by other men." In the advertisement's narrative, the new girlfriend discovers the man's statements, calls out his misogyny, and breaks up with him. A voiceover in the advertisement states, "A toxic man is just like these germs – you need Dettol to eliminate them completely to feel at ease."

Dettol stated the promotion was intended to challenge unequal gender attitudes and promote healthy views on relationships. A spokesperson for the company clarified that edited clips circulating online distorted the original message of the advertisement. Dettol stated that the promotion was produced by a third-party agency. "We take responsibility for any negligence in creating and reviewing the content of the advert," a Dettol spokesperson said. The spokesperson added, "We are well aware that true protection also lies in safeguarding the dignity of every individual and their right to be treated equally."

The topic generated more than 80 million views on the Chinese social media platform Weibo by Tuesday. Dettol stated it would review its content moderation processes. One Weibo user wrote, "I will never use Dettol again." Dettol is a British hygiene brand owned by the multinational company Reckitt.