Men’s personal care brand Dr. Squatch is coming for body wash, and it’s teaming with A-lister Sydney Sweeney to help spread the word.
On Tuesday, 11-year-old Dr. Squatch rolled out the first in a series of marketing assets announcing the expansion into the new category and starring Sweeney. The video, which went live across Dr. Squatch’s social channels, features Sweeney as a “magical body wash genie” with the ability to grant “every man’s wish” — which, in this case, is a natural body wash.
The full campaign, which Sweeney will share on her social accounts on October 3, will include a mix of photos and video spots. In addition, the brand gifted select influencers the collection in the hopes that they’ll post about it, as well.
“Most guys still prefer a body wash product. When you look at the total size of the [male grooming] category, body wash is two to two-and-a-half times the size of bar soap, yet there isn’t a great natural option out there,” said John Ludeke, Dr. Squatch’s vp of marketing. “[With this collection], our goal is to have a product that performs as good as what they’re used to … but is natural and has our unique fragrances, which Dr. Squatch is known for.”
In 2023, the male grooming category was estimated by Global Market Insights to be worth $55.5 billion. It’s expected to reach $89.8 billion by 2032.
Dr. Squatch’s body washes, priced at $15 for 14 ounces, are available in the brand’s four top-selling scents. A Lather Up Bundle, which includes all four scents in 8-ounce containers, sells for $40. Along with the brand’s e-commerce site, consumers can purchase the collection at Target, Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, HEB and Amazon. Walmart will introduce the products soon, Ludeke said.
In addition to the large push on social media, Dr. Squatch is promoting the campaign with television and Spotify ads. “It’ll essentially be everywhere,” said Ludeke. “And we’re expecting a dramatic increase in awareness and usage of the Dr. Squatch brand, as a result.”
It’s been a busy year of partnerships for Sweeney. In May, she became Korean skin-care brand Laneige’s first global brand ambassador, then in August, footwear company HeyDyde announced her as its global ambassador, too. She’s also fronted campaigns for Jimmy Choo and the beverage brand Bai.
“We needed someone we thought fit Dr. Squatch’s brand personality and DNA — someone natural, funny and irreverent who doesn’t take themselves too seriously,” Ludeke said, regarding the decision to enlist Sweeney. “We pretty quickly landed on Sydney [Sweeney]. … She’s an icon, not only with men but also with women.”
Dr. Squatch is no stranger to creating a viral moment. In June, the brand partnered with TV host Nick Cannon to release the brand’s new ball care line. As part of the partnership, Cannon insured his testicles for $10 million. According to the brand, on the earned media front, the campaign generated over 800 placements and 11.9 billion impressions across digital, print, radio and TV. Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube drove an additional 125 million social impressions.
“We’re now doing well over $400 million a year in revenue,” Ludeke told Glossy. He added that Dr. Squatch is the No. 1 most engaged men’s personal care brand online. “We’re No. 1 on Instagram, in terms of followers and engagement, and No. 1 on TikTok. We’re even closing in on some of the women’s and unisex brands,” he said. In April, it was reported that the brand’s majority owner, private equity firm Summit Partners, was exploring a $2 billion sale of the brand.
Moving forward, using high-quality, natural products and effective marketing to position Dr. Squatch as a premium legacy brand is the goal. “When you see the Squatch logo, we want people to immediately think, ‘That’s the highest-quality, best-performing, best-smelling natural product on the market,'” said Ludeke.
