🧼 Dr. Squatch: A Timeline From Kickstarter To Acquisition In Under 10 Years 🧼
→ The Squatch Difference – Brand Story

Unilever announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Dr. Squatch from growth equity firm Summit Partners. First congrats to them on surviving a CPG owned by a private equity firm! Cough (Increase revenue and decrease costs) lol. But on a serious note it’s an incredible accomplishment for co-founders Jack and AJ. They started a soap brand after quitting their jobs and the rest is history.

🧼Dr. Squatch: Key Timeline Milestones 🧼

• 2013- Jack Haldrup starts a clean soap company out of his garage.

• 2016 – Launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund early growth

• 2020–2021 – Exploded in popularity through viral YouTube ads and TikTok campaigns.→ “You’re Not a Dish” Ad

• 2021 – Ran a Super Bowl ad and hit $100M in annual revenue

• 2023 – Faced off with Unilever in a legal dispute over “natural” claim

• 2024 – Sydney Sweeney as a “Body Wash Genie.”→ Watch the Ad

• 2025 – Acquired by Unilever, joining a portfolio of iconic personal care brands.

3 Things Dr. Squatch Got Right 🧼🧼🧼

1. Clean Ingredients: Before the pandemic, clean ingredients in men’s products were virtually non-existent, and it was reserved only for expensive high-end products. By introducing a product that was SLIGHTLY more expensive for better ingredients it made a clear positioning statement in the soap category.

2. Fun Marketing: Now these guys didn’t invent fun joking marketing (I’d argue Dollar Shave Club was the first, these guys came in and then Liquid Death) but still they made their brand relatable and 1 to 1. Sydney Sweeney’s “Guys only want one thing” YouTube video garnered over 20M views in less than a year. Not every collab is a home run but this one crushed it.

3. Stay In Their Lane: The expansion strategy from soap to shampoo and into eventually Sydney Sweeney’s bath water was done over several years and seems like they built enough credibility in each category before expanding too quickly with bad products.

Why Is Unilever Doing This?

Unilever’s M&A strategy has always been about acquiring brands with loyal followings and scaling them globally. But not every acquisition has gone smoothly.

To be blunt they are buying volume and revenue. Having worked at a Fortune 500 CPG organization I can tell you change is like moving the Titanic or a cruise ship. That’s why all your creative ideas never get approved and why all these big CPG’s have reached critical mass growth. Buying a product like Dr. Squatch gives them a new customer base, cost efficiencies with a supply chain, and valuable 1st party data.

Here Is Their Track Record of M&A:

• Ben & Jerry’s (2000) – A mission-driven brand that’s now in a legal standoff with Unilever over its social activism. They’re like the step child or odd duck of the family that doesn’t listen and has caused major headaches.

• Dollar Shave Club (2016) – Sold in 2023 after struggling to scale under Unilever’s ownership.

• Sir Kensington (2017)- Purchased by Unilever to compliment their Hellmans brand.

• Dr. Squatch (2025) – The latest bet on DTC and influencer-driven growth

What This Means for Dr. Squatch? 🧼🦍

Dr. Squatch’s brand is built on humor, authenticity, and natural ingredients. The big question: Can it keep its edge under Unilever? If it’s anything like Dollar Shave Club they will likely move slowly into product ingredients and benefits communication and not be selling the bath water from Sydney Sweeney. Like their Super Bowl commercial “You’re Not a Dish” Super Bowl Ad it will be interesting to see if this is wrong.

The concern? Unilever’s track record with DTC brands is mixed. Dollar Shave Club was sold off after failing to meet expectations, and Ben & Jerry’s is in open conflict with its parent company over political messaging

3) DTC Meets FMCG 🛒💻

This acquisition is another sign that direct-to-consumer isn’t dead—it’s just evolving. Big players like Unilever are snapping up DTC brands not just for their products, but for their data, agility, and loyal communities. Known users is the battle from here to 2030 to build look-alike audiences and become a data giant. Dr. Squatch gives them gasoline into the men’s grooming category (Although they already had a lot with Axe and Dove).

4) Influencers, Meet Infrastructure 📦📲

Dr. Squatch’s influencer game is strong. From YouTube comedians to TikTok skincare gurus, they’ve built a network that drives serious sales. Now with Unilever’s backing, expect:

• Bigger budgets

• Global reach

• More polished—but hopefully still playful—content but Mike Tyson soap ads and “Rizz” soap might become a thing of the past. (See below)

  

5) What’s Next? 🧼🌍

Unilever’s M&A playbook is evolving. With the sale of Dollar Shave Club and tensions with Ben & Jerry’s, the pressure is on to make Dr. Squatch a success story. Expect more acquisitions in:

• Sustainable personal care

• Functional wellness

• Niche DTC brands with cult followings with LOTS of first party data.