Case Study: Dr. Squach

Why Was That Company Unique, and What Made Them Stand Out?

• Natural + Masculine Identity: Founded in 2013 (San Diego) and now based in Los Angeles, Dr. Squatch positioned itself as a natural personal care company for men. Their products—soaps, body wash, deodorant, etc.—use natural ingredients, rugged scents (Pine Tar, Grapefruit IPA, Eucalyptus Greek Yogurt), and avoid harsh chemicals. This combination of “nature” + “masculinity” in a category often dominated by synthetic scents and gender-neutral marketing was a key differentiator.

• Brand Personality & Voice: Dr. Squatch’s brand voice leans into humor, boldness, and irreverence. They use content hooks like “Your soap is sh*t” in their early viral ads, positioning conventional soap brands as almost shameful in what they omit or how artificial they are. They'll use rugged, forest imagery, but mixed with comedic elements to feel relatable and entertaining.

• Viral & DTC Success: They started direct-to-consumer, built up through effective viral video ads, evolved into physical retail later, but kept much of their traction from digital. Earlier, their revenue was ~US$100 million annually as a DTC natural soap brand.

• Recent Acquisition & Validation: In 2025, Unilever acquired Dr. Squatch for about US$1.5 billion, recognizing its strength in male grooming, its cult following, and its viral/innovative marketing approach.

Their Detailed Marketing Strategy

Here are the key components of how Dr. Squatch has marketed itself:

1. Viral Video & Content Marketing:

   • Early breakthrough came from humorous video content (e.g. the “Soap is sh*t” approach with comedian James Schrader) that grabbed attention with strong hooks in the first few seconds. These really resonated with men who felt conventional soaps were bland or misleading.

   • Videos have garnered 100+ million views across YouTube, Facebook, etc. These ad creatives often combine product education (why natural ingredients matter) with humor.

2. Social First & Meme Culture:

   • Heavy investment in social media advertising; experimenting with high-growth platforms like TikTok. They use raw, offbeat content—memes, pop culture references, short-form video content. This helps connect with Gen Z and younger men.

   • They also use influencer partnerships and collaboration / co-branding moments (e.g., with Sydney Sweeney/One piece) to extend reach and cultural relevance. By using One piece they also reached another select target audience.

   

3. Branding & Packaging Refresh for Retail:

   • As they moved from pure DTC to omnichannel (online + retail stores), they invested in refining packaging and visual identity to ensure that the shelf presence communicates their personality—humor, naturalness, and ruggedness.

   • The packaging emphasizes natural ingredients, cheeky claims (“No harmful ingredients”), and scents with playful masculine appeal. Their “Squatch Difference” messaging reinforces product quality + natural origin.

4. Omni-channel Distribution & Retail Expansion:

   • Started online / subscription, then scaled into grocery, retailers, and Amazon. Also including subscription models (“Subscribe & Save”) with exclusive access to limited-edition products or early drops.

   • After proving traction DTC, Dr. Squatch expanded into retail stores (Target, Walmart, Costco), leveraging the trust they built online to drive in-store purchases. Retail exposure both validated credibility and broadened reach. They stand out, compared to traditional soap companies with their unique packaging.

   • Use of Amazon Ads and retail media to capture lower-funnel demand.

     

5. DTC Foundation + Subscription Model:
   They started by selling directly to consumers via their own site. They built subscription offerings, which helped build recurring revenue and customer loyalty. Additionally, their website and purchase flows were optimized for clarity, simplicity, and urgency.

6. Novel Campaigns / Limited Editions for Buzz
   They leveraged special product releases, limited editions, and collaborations. One recent marketing stunt was “Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss,” a limited-edition soap bar made with actress Sydney Sweeney’s actual bathwater, plus other natural elements, which sparked a lot of conversation.

   

How Can Other Business Owners Use or Implement This in Their Business?

• Find & Own a Niche with Clarity: Dr. Squatch targeted men who want natural, high-performance grooming without artificial or “chemical” suspicions. If you can define your niche clearly (audience + value proposition), you can build focused messaging.

• Use Humor & Relatability: Humor works especially well when your product category is staid or commoditized. Starting with a strong hook—something unexpected—can help content stop the scroll.

• Start DTC, Build Community, Then Scale to Retail: Dr. Squatch built trust online (subscription, website, social proof), then expanded to retail with packaging and branding aligned so that store customers would immediately recognize the brand personality.

• Iterate Content & Experiment with Platforms: Be willing to test content formats (longer explainer videos, short reels, TikToks, memes) and ad platforms until you find what resonates. Dr. Squatch used social media and video virality very early.

• Tie in Product Quality & Transparency: Features like natural ingredients, 98-100% natural origin, no bad chemicals, strong scents, etc., have to back the messaging. If the product fails on basics, the humor or branding won't sustain long.

• Limited Drops / Collaborations to Boost Buzz: Use collaborations or limited-edition products to grab attention and get earned media. The “Bathwater Bliss” soap is a recent example—they created something unusual and newsworthy.

• Omni-channel presence & subscription models: Have an online presence, subscription, then expand to physical retail. Use retail media, Amazon ads to capture demand where customers shop.

Takeaways

• Dr. Squatch shows that in a traditional, commoditized category (soap / grooming), brand personality + humor + natural ingredients can break through.

• Building brand voice before expanding distribution pays off—people followed the personality first.

• Viral content + strong hooks = scalable growth. One video can change trajectory.

• Authenticity must align with product: strong scent, natural formulation, compelling story.

• Acquisitions at scale (like Unilever’s $1.5B purchase) reward brands that balance DTC growth, strong branding, and cultural relevance.

• Marketing risk matters: cheeky humor or provocative messaging may generate criticism, but handled well (with clarity & consistency), it becomes part of the “built-in culture” that makes the brand memorable.