- Viral Reach: The 2018 “You’re Not a Dish” anchor video achieved 120 million views and fueled 30× revenue growth to over $100 million annually.
- Taboo-Breaking Humor: The Ball Care campaign’s Nick Cannon stunt generated 11.5 billion earned media impressions and 125 million social interactions, spotlighting men’s hygiene with levity.
- Star-Powered Launch: Sydney Sweeney’s “Body Wash Genie” campaign broadened Dr Squatch’s appeal to female buyers and cemented its cultural relevance.
- Data-Driven Acquisition: Unilever valued Dr Squatch’s first-party subscription and sales data, essential for targeted marketing in a cookieless world.
- Integrated Activation: Each campaign synchronized earned media, paid ads, and owned social content to sustain momentum and convert buzz into sales.
Proven first-party data and huge social buzz convinced the global owner that Dr Squatch was a must-have acquisition.
When Unilever announced its acquisition of Dr Squatch, industry observers noted that this purchase marked a return to the direct-to-consumer (DTC) playbook for the CPG giant. Yet, beyond simply adding a premium men’s grooming line to its portfolio, Unilever was drawn to Dr Squatch’s mastery of social-first marketing.
Over the past five years, the naturally formulated soap startup engineered a string of breakout campaigns, each leveraging humor, niche audience targeting, and star collaborations to generate tens or hundreds of millions of views, sustained brand lift, and clear lifts in first-party sales data.
For Unilever, the allure lay not only in the product’s promise of natural ingredients but in Dr Squatch’s proven ability to translate viral buzz into measurable revenue.
“You’re Not a Dish You’re a Man”
Dr Squatch’s first major leap onto the national stage came in 2018 with the “You’re Not a Dish, You’re a Man” anchor video. Partnering with agency Raindrop, the brand distilled its tongue-in-cheek personality into a three-minute social explainer starring comedian James Schrader.
Rather than a hard sell, the ad combined absurdist humor with a clear product demo, painting natural soap as an antidote to mass-market body washes.
The results were extraordinary:
- over 120 million combined views on YouTube and Facebook
- 100,000 shares
- a 30× increase in sales
These results propelled Dr Squatch past $100 million in annual revenue. That campaign not only entrenched the brand’s irreverent voice but also delivered first-party data on view-through rates, demographic engagement, and conversion lifts—metrics that would later validate Unilever’s strategic interest.
“Ball Care” with Nick Cannon
In 2022, Dr Squatch turned a cultural taboo into headline news with its “Ball Care” campaign. Recognizing that 81% of surveyed men reported personal hygiene concerns yet largely avoided the conversation, the brand enlisted Nick Cannon and an outrageous $10 million insurance stunt on his “golden gonads.”
A custom Ball Valuation Tool lets users price their own assets, tying humor to education. Through an integrated PR and social blitz, 800+ press placements, the campaign transcended typical product launches:
- 11.5 billion earned-media impressions
- 125 million social views
Behind the scenes, Dr Squatch captured precise data: traffic spikes to its Ball Care landing page, upticks in “add-to-cart” rates versus standard TikTok Shop ads, and user-generated content demonstrating the tool, all of which underscored the brand’s innovative, data-driven approach.
Check out the How CPG Brands Are Merging Cultural Relevance with Performance Media: Coca-Cola’s Campaign
“Body Wash Genie” Featuring Sydney Sweeney
Most recently, Dr Squatch tapped Hollywood’s hottest rising star for its natural body wash launch. Sydney Sweeney’s “Body Wash Genie” series leaned into her sex-symbol status and playful persona to deliver three cheeky video spots—complete with a bathtub cameo and tongue-in-cheek “wishes” for cleaner skin.
@drsquatch Sydney Sweeney Body Wash Genie is here to make your dreams come true 😉 Whether you want coconuts, pine tar, or bourbon, she’s got you covered! Get the Dr. Squatch Natural Body Wash today, available in-stores and at drsquatch.com @syds_garage
This campaign broadened Dr Squatch’s reach beyond men into female-led purchase decisions, driving social shares across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Media plans spanning linear TV, CTV, and digital video created a multi-channel lift, while behind-the-scenes A/B testing on ad variations enabled Dr Squatch to optimize messaging in real time.
By measuring view-through rates, click-to-site metrics, and subsequent subscription sign-ups, the brand built yet another airtight case for Unilever: that celebrity-driven, humor-infused activations could reliably move product at scale.
@drsquatch Sydney Sweeney Body Wash Genie may or may not appear when you get Dr. Squatch Body Wash 😅 @SYD
“Moisture Mike” with Mike Tyson
In April 2025, Dr Squatch enlisted Iron Mike himself to champion its Total Moisture Collection. Branded as “Moisture Mike,” Tyson took his alter ego into a zen-like spa ring, knocking out dryness with rich butters in mango, shea, and green tea formulas.
@miketyson Even @miketyson, the baddest man on the planet, knows moisture matters. Stay fresh with Dr. Squatch Total Moisture Soap—get it now in stores & at drsquatch.com! #DrSquatchPartners #Ad
The ads—running on TV, YouTube, Meta, TikTok, Spotify, and Pinterest—leveraged Tyson’s toughness juxtaposed against self-care, sending a powerful message: real strength includes embracing sensitivity.
Dr Squatch tracked increases in social engagement, click-throughs to the Moisture Collection page, and trial purchases among Tyson’s fan demographics.
What Drove Unilever to Acquire Dr Squatch?
Unilever’s acquisition announcement explicitly cited Dr Squatch’s “built-in-culture” brand and viral marketing prowess as key drivers.
Beyond product innovation, Unilever was eyeing two hard assets: first-party DTC data and social ROI metrics. Subscription behavior, churn rates, and on-site conversion paths provided a treasure trove of consumer insights at a time when third-party cookies are fading.
Simultaneously, Dr Squatch’s earned-media reach and high-engagement campaigns mapped directly to sales lifts, offering Unilever a playbook for future influencer partnerships.
In a marketplace where authenticity and community resonance are paramount, Dr Squatch’s track record of crafting shareable, conversation-driving content aligned perfectly with Unilever’s renewed focus on premium, fast-growing verticals.
Lessons for Marketers
- Find Your Edutainment Sweet Spot: Blend product education with humor or narrative to maintain authenticity and drive shares.
- Leverage Niche Influencers and Celebrities: Align talent whose persona naturally amplifies your brand story; measure impact via unique tracking URLs and first-party data.
- Integrate Across Channels: Orchestrate earned media, paid ads, PR, and social platforms in lockstep—each touchpoint feeding the next.
- Measure Beyond Impressions: Track downstream metrics—site visits, cart adds, subscriptions—and connect them to specific campaign assets.
- Use Data to Inform Acquisitions: First-party behavioral and sales data can de-risk M&A decisions by proving that buzz converts to revenue.
Sealing the Deal with Social Proof
Dr Squatch’s ability to turn quirky concepts into cultural phenomena proved irresistible to Unilever. By marrying bold, creative stunts with relentless measurement—tracking everything from viral view counts to conversion rates—the D2C brand not only scaled rapidly but also offered a modern blueprint for influencer-driven growth.
As Unilever integrates Dr Squatch into its global portfolio, the challenge will be to maintain that fearless, data-backed approach while bringing the brand’s playful spirit to new markets. For marketers, the lesson is clear: in today’s attention economy, the brands that win are those that can entertain, educate, and empirically prove that social buzz pays off.
