Dr. Squatch blew up from a tiny DTC player to $400 million in retail revenue off of a viral YT video. Bro humor and content is in their DNA.
They insured Nick Cannon’s testicles and dropped whiskey scented soap … but they are now pushing into fetish territory.
In 2024, Sydney Sweeney was in a Dr. Squatch content series in a bathtub telling men to “stop being dirty little boys”. Of course it got young guys’ attention and they replied with predictable thirst.
A year later, thirsty video comments about ‘drinking her bathwater’ are now a real product innovation. On Friday, Dr. Squatch sold 5000 bars of a limited edition soap infused with Sweeney’s actual bath water. It sold out in seconds, the site crashed and resellers are now asking $2000.
The stunt certainly has divided people, but I find 3 things interesting about it:
1️⃣ A Brand playing in manosphere territory (w/ tongue in cheek):
🛀 Dr. Squatch was born on the internet and evolving with it means having to constantly compete with everything else young men are consuming for attention.
🛀 Their social roots and proximity gives them more permission than most brands to play on manosphere/simp/Stacy culture
🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽
2️⃣ An Idea showing a shift from fan worshipping celebs to commodifying them:
🛀 People have always been obsessed with celebs and wanted proximity to them. Hard Rock Cafe’ was where you could get up close and personal through memorabilia
🛀 However, In an age where social media has us demanding access to every aspect of celebs, people’s biology itself is now an in-demand commodity. Look at the Only Fans models making $200k selling farts in jars and Kim Kardashian being gifted Marilyn Monroe’s hair.
🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽 🧽
3️⃣ A celeb taking control of and monetizing their sexuality from social trolls
🛀 Although, Sydney Sweeney has been pretty public about her discomfort with how she is sexualized on the internet, some of her roles ( Dr. Squatch ads, Hellman’s When Harry Met Sally scene) and characters (Hooters Girl on SNL) appear to be her way of using her platform and talent to take back control of her own narrative, poke fun at it and to monetize it.
🛀 She pitched this soap idea and is obviously getting the last laugh. I mentioned how AT&T Lily did something similar a few months ago to support wildfires.
I am interested to hear your thoughts on buying soap with celeb crud included.