Sydney Sweeney's Bath Water Soap: Dr. Squatch

TL;DR: Scroll to the bottom for a quick summary.

When you think of celebrity-brand collaborations, you probably picture perfumes, makeup lines or maybe a Super Bowl ad. What you probably do not picture is someone bottling up their literal bathwater and turning it into a bar of soap. But that is exactly what happened in June 2025, when actress Sydney Sweeney and natural soap brand Dr. Squatch teamed up to release a limited edition soap called: "Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss."

Yes, you read that right. The key ingredient? Her actual used bathwater - collected, treated and then infused into 5,000 bars of soap. The scent? Described cheekily by the brand as “morning wood.” The price? $8 per bar. And while the premise sounds like something straight out of a Reddit fantasy thread, the campaign was very real and surprisingly effective. But was it genius or just gross?

Picture Credits: The New York Times

What Worked: Outrageous Novelty Meets Cult Branding

There is no denying that this campaign got people talking. And sharing. And tweeting. Dr. Squatch's launch post featuring Sydney Sweeney and her bathwater soap quickly racked up tens of thousands of likes and sparked major headlines across mainstream media, from The New York Times to The Daily Mail. More than 973,000 people entered a giveaway to win just 100 bars, and the 5,000 available units sold out online in under a minute. The brand reportedly earned $40,000 in direct sales from just this limited drop.

But more importantly, just like Tinder's Ex-press disposal truck, it earned viral reach that money simply cannot buy. Social media was ablaze with reactions - some enthusiastic, some horrified, but all curious. Dr. Squatch managed to get people who have never even heard of the brand to suddenly care about handmade soap. That is the kind of cultural infiltration every marketing team dreams of.

It also helps that the campaign perfectly matched the brand’s tone. Dr. Squatch has always leaned into a cheeky, macho, hyper-masculine vibe, and Sydney Sweeney's bathwater soap did just that. From its goofy YouTube ads to its exaggerated scent names, the brand thrives on not taking itself too seriously. So when fans jokingly begged for Sweeney’s bathwater in the comments of a past ad, Dr. Squatch actually delivered. The campaign felt like an inside joke made real - something only a brand with this kind of identity could pull off.

Picture Credits: Medium

What Went Wrong: Borderline Creepy?

Still, there’s a fine line between cheeky and creepy, and this campaign flirted dangerously with it. Dr. Squatch turning Sydney Sweeney’s used bathwater into a mass-consumed product like soap might be hilarious to some, but to others, it crosses into objectification and fetishisation.

Let’s be honest: for someone to want to lather themselves with a celebrity’s bathwater, you have to be more than just a fan; you have to be borderline obsessed. And while that extreme fan behaviour might be great for viral sales, it also raises eyebrows about how far brands should go to cater to such desires.

It also opens up ethical questions.

Even though Sweeney was involved in the creative process and approved the idea, does that make it okay? Are we rewarding the wrong kind of fandom? What does it say about our culture that this idea was both commercially viable and wildly popular?

Some viewers called the campaign “gross,” “unhinged,” or even “psychotic.” Others worried it sent the wrong message, especially to younger fans who might view the campaign as normalising obsessive parasocial behaviour.

Picture Credits: Aimee+Shawn

What Could Have Been Done Better

From a marketing perspective, this campaign was lightning in a bottle. But that does not mean it could not have been more strategic. The biggest miss? Sustainability. Not in the environmental sense, but in terms of campaign longevity. Once the bars sold out - and they did in under 60 secondsthe buzz started to fizzle.

Imagine if Dr. Squatch had tied this campaign to a larger product line or a subscription service. Or better yet, offered digital content or behind-the-scenes footage for those who missed out. With nearly a million giveaway entries, the brand had a golden opportunity to build a long-term funnel of engaged customers.

Another improvement could have been around messaging balance. The brand went all in on the humour and absurdity, which worked for virality. But a more balanced tone, like offering a serious skincare benefit behind the joke, might have helped earn trust from those on the fence.

Also, this campaign could have included more interactive elements. Given how viral the launch was, an AR filter or UGC challenge could have extended the shelf life online. Instead, the moment passed quickly without a digital follow-up strategy to ride the momentum.

My Take as a Marketing Student

I honestly do not know how to feel about this one. On one hand, it is clever, unique and perfectly on-brand. On the other hand, it makes me slightly uncomfortable, and maybe that is the point.

This campaign is proof that in today’s attention economy, going viral sometimes means making people squirm. It also shows how powerful a community-driven idea can be. The original request for Sydney’s bathwater came from a comment on an ad. Instead of ignoring it, Dr. Squatch turned it into a revenue-generating idea.

What I admire most is the brand’s courage to commit. This was not a half-baked influencer drop. It was a fully realised concept that stayed true to tone, product and storytelling. The soap itself, aside from the novelty ingredient, was packed with pine bark extract, Douglas fir and exfoliating moss, adding real skincare value beneath the absurdity.

However, as a student, it also makes me think hard about the ethics of marketing. Can shock value and brand growth always justify the means? Would the same campaign be celebrated if the genders were reversed? And at what point does fandom stop being a community and start becoming a commodity?

Campaign Scorecard

Element	Score (Out of 10)
Concept and Originality	9.5
Strategic Relevance	7.0
Consumer Engagement	9.0
Social Media Impact	8.5
Scalability	4.5
Overall Score	7.0

Final Thoughts

The Sydney Sweeney and Dr. Squatch “Bathwater Bliss” campaign proves that marketing today is all about standing out and sparking conversation. It takes boldness to mix celebrity culture with something as intimate and unusual as bathwater, but that very audacity is what made the campaign impossible to ignore. Whether you found the idea brilliant or a bit creepy, it definitely got people talking and drove serious buzz around the brand.

From a marketing perspective, this campaign shows how tapping into fan obsession and viral culture can create massive engagement with minimal paid media. The fact that the limited edition bars sold out in under a minute and the giveaway attracted nearly a million entries speaks volumes about the power of social media and influencer-driven campaigns. At the same time, the campaign’s uniqueness is also its biggest risk. Not every consumer will connect with the concept, and some might even be put off by it. The challenge moving forward for Dr. Squatch will be to build on this momentum in ways that keep the brand fresh without relying on shock value alone.

Overall, this campaign is a fascinating example of creativity meeting commerce, and it’s a reminder that sometimes the best marketing ideas are the ones that take a chance and spark a little debate along the way.

Enjoyed this analysis? Check out my analysis on McDonald's Happy Meal removing its smile.

~ Siddh

Breaking down campaigns one story at a time.

TL;DR - Campaign Snapshot

Campaign Name:

Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss

Brand:

Dr. Squatch

Celebrity Collaborator:

Sydney Sweeney

Industry:

Natural Personal Care / DTC

Format:

Limited-edition soap drop (5,000 bars made using bathwater)

Launch Date:

June 2025

Objective:

Earned media, viral buzz, influencer engagement

Key Results:

• 973,000+ giveaway entries

• Sold out in <60 seconds

• $40,000 revenue

What Worked:

Bold concept, aligned tone, strong community hook

What Didn’t:

Short-lived impact, ethical concerns, no long-term funnel

Student Take:

Clever, bold, and on-brand, but raises deeper ethical questions

Overall Score:

7.0/10