# Dr. Squatch



## Susie

Has anyone besides me seen the Dr. Squatch commercials on YouTube?  I think whoever came up with that ad campaign was brilliant.


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## shunt2011

They are brilliant for sure.


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## dibbles

I have - love them!


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## IrishLass

They are hilarious! 


IrishLass


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## Relle

What is Dr Squatch ? American I presume.


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## Cellador

Didn't Dr. Squatch try to sue someone here? Saying the member's packaging/labelling was too similar to their own?
...runs off to search...
...yes, they did try to sue someone here. The claim was ridiculous, so I can't help but associate them with that incident. Makes me wonder how many people they sued or tried to sue to get where they are today. 
Sorry for being so cynical.


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## Nanette

Relle said:


> What is Dr Squatch ? American I presume.


It is a soap company. They make man bars I believe....


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## msunnerstood

Cellador said:


> Didn't Dr. Squatch try to sue someone here? Saying the member's packaging/labelling was too similar to their own?
> ...runs off to search...
> ...yes, they did try to sue someone here. The claim was ridiculous, so I can't help but associate them with that incident. Makes me wonder how many people they sued or tried to sue to get where they are today.
> Sorry for being so cynical.


I remember that! I think of it every time i see the commercial, right before I hit "Skip this ad"


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## Nanette

Thats too bad...how stupid, really. IMO...that said, I just went to Amazon and read some reviews for Dr. Squatch....the positive reviews are really entertaining...


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## IrishLass

Yep- they tried to sue Songwind.......who just happens to be a lawyer himself, so I don't know how far they were able to get. lol That left a bad taste in my mouth towards Dr. Squatch, but I still can't deny that their ads are pretty funny...... and in more ways than one. For example, one of their ads came up on my YouTube feed yesterday titled "Showering On The Beach with Strangers". In it, they took their soap to the beach and had random people read out loud the ingredients lists of competitor soaps in order to show how wonderfully natural the Squatch soaps  are in comparison. I just about fell of my chair in incredulous laughter when one gal read 'sodium chloride" off a competitor ingredient list, complaining in her very next breath about words she can't even pronounce, and then in the following scene a guy reads the 'all natural' ingredients off of a Dr. Squatch soap, one of of which was "sea salt".  Oh, my goodness! I can hardly believe that made it past the video editor! Way too funny! lol 


IrishLass


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## amd

IrishLass said:


> I just about fell of my chair in incredulous laughter when one gal read 'sodium chloride" off a competitor ingredient list, complaining in her very next breath about words she can't even pronounce, and then in the following scene a guy reads the 'all natural' ingredients off of a Dr. Squatch soap, one of of which was "sea salt".



I confess... I had to google 'sodium chloride' to figure out what was so funny.... it's been a long week for me.


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## lenarenee

Relle said:


> What is Dr Squatch ? American I presume.



https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/technology/sd-fi-drsquatch-20180921-story.html

I was really impressed when I read that article. After reading this thread today, I went back to the 2017 thread by wetshavingproducts and saw that he claimed Dr. Squatch is just re-selling soap made by the soap guy!  Not to impressed anymore.  (when seeing that picture from the paper, I couldn't understand how he was making that much soap in his garage - and now I know "how" he did it! )


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## earlene

Regarding the suing.   For trademark purposes, a trademark infringement needs only to be close enough to be able to confuse the customers as to whose product it is, so lawsuits over the similarity of packaging can happen.   If I recall correctly without actually going back to the thread, I think it was the cease and desist letter that was mentioned in that thread, and not an actual lawsuit.  In any case, I did search for the letter that I remember, and here is a link to the thread I remembered about this:

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...certified-letter-in-the-mail-yesterday.63823/


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## Nanette

Dr. Squatch .....all advertising, not much else....


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## TheGecko

lenarenee said:


> I was really impressed when I read that article. After reading this thread today, I went back to the 2017 thread by wetshavingproducts and saw that he claimed Dr. Squatch is just re-selling soap made by the soap guy!  Not to impressed anymore.  (when seeing that picture from the paper, I couldn't understand how he was making that much soap in his garage - and now I know "how" he did it! )



Actually, it's very impressive because it shows the importance of marketing.  As to rest of what you said...:shaking head:

First, that claim sounds like sour grapes which is not uncommon.

Second, no he is not making soap out of the garage pictured in the article.  Common sense aside that there is no way someone could manufacture, cure and distribute 1500-2000 soaps a day from the space in the pictured: 1) The caption on the picture clearly states that it is his 'soap lab'.  2) If you go to the 5th paragraph, it says that his soap is manufactured in Indiana and North Carolina.


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## lenarenee

TheGecko said:


> Actually, it's very impressive because it shows the importance of marketing.  As to rest of what you said...:shaking head:
> 
> First, that claim sounds like sour grapes which is not uncommon.
> 
> Second, no he is not making soap out of the garage pictured in the article.  Common sense aside that there is no way someone could manufacture, cure and distribute 1500-2000 soaps a day from the space in the pictured: 1) The caption on the picture clearly states that it is his 'soap lab'.  2) If you go to the 5th paragraph, it says that his soap is manufactured in Indiana and North Carolina.



That's a good point about marketing.

The original poster commented soon after Squatch threatened legal action over labeling. He was a lawyer himself, so I would assume he found enough info on Squatch to state his claim accurately.

I did a little checking; I compared the ingredient list of The Soap Guy's soaps (not easy to find, either) and compared to Squatch, and they don't match up. So I figure 3 things are possible;  Squatch has The Soap Guy use a special recipe that TSG doesn't mass produce for the typical buyer, the recipe has changed, it was never TSG's soaps they sold. 

I'm still disappointed that "local boy made good" (I'm also from San Diego) isn't as good as I thought - meaning...he built from the ground up, including making his own product. But yes, credit is due for finding an unserved niche, and marketing.


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## Nanette

I am happy that man soaps have found their men...ha!


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## TheGecko

> The original poster commented soon after Squatch threatened legal action over labeling. He was a lawyer himself, so I would assume he found enough info on Squatch to state his claim accurately.



Just because he's a lawyer, doesn't mean he's accurate.  It just means he knows how to word things without facing a libel suit.



> I did a little checking; I compared the ingredient list of The Soap Guy's soaps (not easy to find, either) and compared to Squatch, and they don't match up. So I figure 3 things are possible;  Squatch has The Soap Guy use a special recipe that TSG doesn't mass produce for the typical buyer, the recipe has changed, it was never TSG's soaps they sold.



While I haven't found anything to suggest that TSG manufacture anything but their own products for private labeling, would it matter if they did?  I have a friend who has a company that sells makeup and skin care; when she first started out she made and packaged everything herself.  Then she sent her recipes to a company that manufacturer to produce them in bulk.  Eventually she moved on to a manufacturer that could produce and package her products.  They are still the same products that she produced in her kitchen.  



> I'm still disappointed that "local boy made good" (I'm also from San Diego) isn't as good as I thought - meaning...he built from the ground up, including making his own product. But yes, credit is due for finding an unserved niche, and marketing.



He's not...at the time of the article, he had only been living in SD for a couple of years.


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## lenarenee

TheGecko said:


> Just because he's a lawyer, doesn't mean he's accurate.  It just means he knows how to word things without facing a libel suit.




*(My response marked with asterisk because they're being mis located on SMF)   Hence my use of the word "assume" - showing that I didn't have evidence or fact to support my statement.





			
				TheGecko said:
			
		

> While I haven't found anything to suggest that TSG manufacture anything but their own products for private labeling, would it matter if they did?  I have a friend who has a company that sells makeup and skin care; when she first started out she made and packaged everything herself.  Then she sent her recipes to a company that manufacturer to produce them in bulk.  Eventually she moved on to a manufacturer that could produce and package her products.  They are still the same products that she produced in her kitchen.



*I think you misunderstand my reason for  participating in this thread. Plus, I didn't not say anything about a problem with TSG making products for private label.  I was talking about an older thread, and an opinion from it that I shared on this current thread.

 *Have I upset you in some way; because I feel that you might be arguing with me?

 *I'm having a conversation about a topic in which I'm curious and interested.  Because Dr. Squatch has been in our local papers,  at times I hear people bring the company up or they ask me, as a soap maker, what I think of the local company, and also I enjoy the commercials. There was speculation in this thread, and the earlier thread from a year (give or take) ago. I added my thoughts. Then, I remembered a post that had me re-thinking those thoughts, and went rifling around to check the facts. Then I commented again.  I try to correct any mistakes or bad info I post.





			
				TheGecko said:
			
		

> He's not...at the time of the article, he had only been living in SD for a couple of years.



*He is. Have you lived in San Diego?  Anyone who loves living here is automatically considered a San Diegan. No questions asked.  There is a massive pride (the extent of which really annoys me) about "living in paradise" here.  I hear the phrase MULTIPLE times every. single. day. Can't even tune into the local tv news channel without hearing about it.


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## TheGecko

@lenarenee - My apologies if I came off as argumentative, it was not my intent.  This thread just struck a wrong chord with me; guy hits upon a great marketing strategy, becomes a huge success and then he is vilified for wanting to protect that success.  We should be celebrating his success, not treating him like the enemy.


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## MGM

Although it sounds like I ought to seek out this Dr Squatch fellow, I have two words for you:

Ad Block

JK, it's really one word.

You'll never have to "skip this ad" again. There are no ads....

Attached are pix of my screen with and without an adblocker running....Guess I should become a Supporting Member now.....


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## lenarenee

TheGecko said:


> @lenarenee - My apologies if I came off as argumentative, it was not my intent.  This thread just struck a wrong chord with me; guy hits upon a great marketing strategy, becomes a huge success and then he is vilified for wanting to protect that success.  We should be celebrating his success, not treating him like the enemy.



Absolutely no need to apologize - I couldn't tell what was going on so I asked, and reread what I wrote to see what I might have said.

I can understand why you appreciate this company's success. 

My comments weren't to meant to vilify.  If there was the equivalent of an "audio emoji", then the tone of my words would have been called, "chatting with friend over coffee about a pleasant interest".   Because they are a local company, and a soap company, they interest me - despite the fact they don't make their own product.  So, I hope you can see my opinion was just about preference, not a criticism - like talking with my neighbor about why I buy eggs from  a local, rather than buy pasture eggs from a store. Nor a criticism to the fact you wanted to defend them. 

I do have a bias against a lot of marketing practices; I'm surrounded by professional marketers here and the dinner conversations just really upsets me because they literally talk about how receiving training that tells them how to lie without actually lying!   One discussion was about a fast food chain, who wanted help with their food ingredient list - specifically - they changed their french fries and now contained a milk ingredient - which takes them off the non-dairy allergen free list - and how do they market them as healthy?!!  

So, take something like soap made with cheap oils, slap a shiny, professionally designed package on it, hire musicians to play a jig around it and sell it as a "premium, all natural" soap for $15.00 and I get angry!  (this is not meant to speak to Squatch - just thinking about a woman at a local market who sells poor quality melt and pour soaps and sticks false labels on them, charges $15 while claiming cold process soap is dangerous) But pulling the wool over people's eyes is what a lot of marketing is about.


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## msunnerstood

TheGecko said:


> @lenarenee - My apologies if I came off as argumentative, it was not my intent.  This thread just struck a wrong chord with me; guy hits upon a great marketing strategy, becomes a huge success and then he is vilified for wanting to protect that success.  We should be celebrating his success, not treating him like the enemy.



Did you read the old post and look at what he thought was a copyright infringement? THAT is my issue with him. As far as I can tell the only similarities are that both soaps indicate being for Men.
I am all for celebrating someones success, but arrogance and pettiness annoy me. I wonder if he sent a cease and desist to all the folks on his "Soap for Men" google results?



MGM said:


> Although it sounds like I ought to seek out this Dr Squatch fellow, I have two words for you:
> 
> Ad Block
> 
> JK, it's really one word.
> 
> You'll never have to "skip this ad" again. There are no ads....
> 
> Attached are pix of my screen with and without an adblocker running....Guess I should become a Supporting Member now.....



I dont think that works for YouTube though does it?


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## TheGecko

lenarenee said:


> Because they are a local company, and a soap company, they interest me - despite the fact they don't make their own product.  So, I hope you can see my opinion was just about preference, not a criticism - like talking with my neighbor about why I buy eggs from  a local, rather than buy pasture eggs from a store.



I'm a bit confused here.  Does one have to physically make their product in order for it to qualify has 'their' product?  Does it cease to be 'your' product if an employee (or manufacturing company), following your recipe, physically makes the product?

Even more confused when you use the eggs analogy, because the only difference (IMHO) between pasture eggs you purchased direct from the farmer or from the egg aisle is the cost.  But that's another subject. 



> But pulling the wool over people's eyes is what a lot of marketing is about.



I agree/disagree.  (disagree) Marketing is about presenting a product in the best possible light (aka perception).  Would you rather buy soap that contains Adeps Suillus or Lard (rendered pig fat)?  How about a soap made with canola oil vs extra virgin olive oil or palm oil vs babassu oil?  If we are honest with ourselves, Lard + Lye makes a good soap...are we really making a 'better' soap when you use a half dozen or more different oils and butters?  Is EVO pressed by real virgins 'better' than the olive oil I get from Costco?  Are soaps make with EOs 'better' than soaps made with FOs?  Is a colorant I made from spinach 'better' than a green oxide pigment 'better' than a green mica?  Is CP 'better' than CPOP 'better' than HP 'better" than MP?

(agree) Marketing is also about selling.  Best marketing gimmick ever:  "Lather, rince, repeat."  Billions of dollars in shampoo has been sold because of those three little words.  Along with billions of dollars conditioners and condition products because you have completely stripped your hair of natural oils.  You want to talk about 'wool"?  Claus Porto Banho 'premium' soap, 5.2 oz bar sells for $20.00.  The description:  _"Claus Porto is a leading soap brand that comes from Portugal. Its label has created an empire on handcrafted soaps boasting of the most elite scents, created with traditional artisanal methods, and packaged uniquely with original artwork."_

They are in Portugal and they do appear to use original artwork (which honestly doesn't mean anything as I have same on my frig from my 3-year granddaughter), but the 'handcrafted' and 'traditional artisanal methods' are a joke.  You have only to read the ingredient list to know that they use the Continuous Process to break down vegetable oils (shea butter, palm oil and palm kernel oil) into fatty acids and glycerin and then mixed with salt.  Some of the glycerin is added back in and after solidifying, the soap is then milled several times at which point color, fragrances and other assorted chemicals are added (like Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde), turned into noodles and machine pressed into bars.

Oh dear...gone off on a bit of a tangent here.  Interesting discussion though.


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## Nanette

Sounds like you got the idea...the spin doctors are a mixed blessing and when combined with poor product or not so hot to begin with product....gets irritating.


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## MGM

msunnerstood said:


> I dont think that works for YouTube though does it?



Sure does! There are some news websites (but not many) and such that require me to sit through an ad before watching a video, but I just close those out. I didn't need that news that badly anyway.....


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