Quick Take: Dettol's 'Toxic Ad' Can't End With Just a Takedown

By Shi Fengchu, The Paper Guest Commentator

Recently, a dramatized advertisement by cleaning and care brand Dettol contained numerous vulgar expressions and was accused of objectifying women, prompting widespread consumer backlash and calls for boycott on social media.

According to videos shared by netizens, the controversial ad was posted on Dettol's official WeChat video account. On June 21, Dettol's customer service told reporters that the information had been immediately escalated internally for review and would be addressed as soon as possible. A subsequent check found the video had already been removed.

Undoubtedly, the ad's content was crude and poorly executed — not merely vulgar but fundamentally lacking basic ethical awareness. It offended the public's simple sense of decency, disrespected women broadly, and objectified and degraded the dignity of women.

For an ad that sparked such outrage, removal is necessary but not sufficient. Relevant authorities must seriously hold the perpetrators accountable.

In the age of information overload, products need novelty and creativity to capture attention, and many marketers rack their brains for attention. But a market economy is also governed by the rule of law — advertisers cannot just chase sensationalism and eyeballs; they must align with core socialist values.

Any innovation or creativity must stay within ethical and moral boundaries. Vulgar, offensive ads that violate public order and good customs cannot be used to attract attention. China's Advertising Law clearly stipulates that advertisements must be truthful, lawful, and presented in a healthy form, conforming to the requirements of building socialist spiritual civilization and promoting excellent traditional Chinese culture. Ad content must not disrupt public order or contravene good social customs, nor contain content that discriminates based on gender.

The Women's Rights Protection Law further emphasizes the prohibition against degrading or harming women's dignity through mass media or other means.

Although the ad was labeled "dramatized reenactment," its content conveyed twisted and absurd values. It showed no regard for women's dignity and lawful rights, denying gender equality, promoting male supremacy, and degrading women.

That such a fundamentally value-distorted ad could be produced and published exposes the production company's ignorance and recklessness — creative planning treated as child's play, internal compliance review rendered meaningless, and one cannot rule out deliberate action driven by distorted values.

As a globally recognized consumer goods company, Dettol must not only "disinfect" this toxic ad but also strengthen internal management — improving ad approval, creative development, publishing, and review mechanisms to prevent future contamination of the public sphere.

It's worth noting that in 2025, Dettol was already embroiled in ad-related controversy, which strongly suggests either gaps in their internal management or intentional behavior. Without taking corrective action, similar incidents are likely to recur.

Market regulators must proactively crack down on such illegal advertising, investigating and penalizing every case, making those who degrade women for traffic pay the price. This will force market entities to take public order, good customs, and social ethics seriously.

Originally published by The Paper (澎湃新闻)