BEIJING, June 23 -- Dettol has apologised after an advertising campaign intended to call out misogyny instead sparked accusations of sexism in China, with critics saying the British hygiene brand reinforced the very stereotypes it claimed to condemn, the BBC reported.

The five-minute advert, styled as one of China's hugely popular micro-dramas, opens with a man declaring he wants a woman who is "clean" and "not tainted by other men" - remarks that quickly drew outrage online.

Only in its closing moments does the campaign reveal its intended message. The man's girlfriend rejects his misogynistic views, breaks up with him and Dettol likens "toxic men" to bacteria, positioning its multipurpose disinfectant as the solution.

But for many vi...