Honestly, the internet is a weird place. One minute you're watching a standard commercial for men's soap, and the next, there is a legitimate secondary market for "bathwater-infused" bricks of pine-scented suds. If you’ve spent any time on social media over the last year, you’ve definitely seen it: the Sydney Sweeney Dr Squatch bathtub moment that basically broke the marketing playbook.
It started with a simple, cheeky ad. Sydney Sweeney, the Euphoria and Anyone But You star, appeared as the "Body Wash Genie" for Dr. Squatch. In one specific spot, she’s lounging in a bathtub filled with bubbles, addressing "dirty little boys" and telling them to upgrade their shower game. It was supposed to be a funny, slightly provocative way to sell natural soap to guys who usually buy whatever 3-in-1 bottle is on sale at the grocery store.
Then things got chaotic.
The Pitch That Actually Happened
Most brands would see "thirsty" comments asking for bathwater and immediately hit the delete button. Dr. Squatch and Sydney Sweeney did the opposite. Instead of ignoring the internet’s collective obsession, they leaned into the absurdity. During the filming of that original campaign, they actually saved a "splash" of the water from the tub.
Sweeney later admitted in interviews, including a sit-down with GQ, that she pitched the idea herself. She saw the Saltburn craze—specifically that infamous Jacob Elordi bathwater scene—and realized she could take control of the narrative. It wasn't just a corporate stunt; it was a collaborative wink to her audience.
The result? Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss.
This wasn't some mass-produced product you could find at Walmart. It was a hyper-limited drop. Only 5,000 bars were made. They priced them at $8, which is basically the price of a normal bar of their soap, but the demand was anything but normal. On June 6, 2025, when the soap finally went live, the website essentially imploded.
What’s Actually Inside the Soap?
If you’re wondering if it’s just a bar of frozen pond water, it’s not. It’s a "medium grit" exfoliating bar. Here is the breakdown of what users actually got:
- The Scent: They called it "Morning Wood" (yeah, they went there). It’s a mix of pine, Douglas fir, and earthy moss.
- The Texture: It uses sand and pine bark extract as exfoliants.
- The "Special" Ingredient: A trace amount of the actual bathwater from the commercial shoot.
Some people found it genius. Others found it deeply "creepy" or a sign of "late-stage capitalism." But from a business perspective, it was a masterclass in engagement. John Ludeke, the VP of Marketing at Dr. Squatch, noted that the goal was to get men to actually pay attention to what they put on their skin. Using a massive celebrity in a bathtub was just the hook to get them to read the ingredients list.
Why the Backlash Was Different
Interestingly, Sweeney noted that the pushback didn't really come from the target audience. In a 2025 interview with WSJ. Magazine, she mentioned that "mainly the girls" were the ones criticizing the move. She found it a bit hypocritical, pointing out how much everyone loved the Saltburn bathwater candles.
It’s a fair point.
When a male actor does something "racy" or "unhinged," it’s often celebrated as edgy art. When Sweeney does it, the conversation often shifts toward the "male gaze" or exploitation. By leaning into the Sydney Sweeney Dr Squatch bathtub joke, she effectively commodified the attention she was already getting. She took a situation where people were talking about her and turned it into a project where she was the one in the driver's seat.
The Aftermath and Resale Market
If you didn't get a bar during the June 2025 drop, you're probably out of luck—unless you have a few hundred dollars to burn. Within hours of the 5,000 bars selling out, they started appearing on eBay and secondary markets. Some listings were asking for $200 or more for a single "bricc."
It’s unlikely Dr. Squatch will do a restock. The whole point of "Bathwater Bliss" was the scarcity and the specific moment in time. However, the partnership between Sweeney and the brand has been one of the most successful in the grooming industry's recent history. It moved Dr. Squatch from a "niche" brand for outdoorsy guys into a mainstream powerhouse that eventually led to a $1.5 billion acquisition by Unilever.
Actionable Takeaways for the Curious
If you're still looking to capture that "Bathwater Bliss" vibe without spending $200 on a secondary market soap bar, here’s how to approach it:
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- Check the Ingredients, Not the Hype: The core of the Squatch message is natural ingredients. Look for soaps with pine bark extract and shea butter if you want that same skin feel without the celebrity markup.
- Follow the Drops: If you’re a collector, follow the brand on Instagram. They tend to do these viral "limited drops" once or twice a year, and they always sell out in seconds.
- Understand the Marketing: Recognize that these campaigns are designed to be "loud" to cut through the noise of 2026's digital landscape. It’s less about the water and more about the conversation.
The Sydney Sweeney Dr Squatch bathtub saga is more than just a weird internet moment. It’s a case study in how a celebrity can take a "thirsty" meme and turn it into a multi-million dollar marketing win. Whether you think it’s brilliant or bizarre, you can’t deny that it worked.