By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon
Who is the Dr. Squatch mascot?
While there’s an abundance of information about the Certified B Corporation, their personal care products, and a bit of founder Jack Haldrup’s backstory on the Dr. Squatch website, little can be gleaned about the brand’s sasquatch character seen on the company logo. And the few snippets about the character supplied by social media platforms like TikTok never reveal enough. (Dr. Squatch is the “CEO of replies” and doesn’t need an ID when he’s got his Wood Barrel Bourbon soap, according to TikTok.)
@drsquatch You already know who I am 😎
We were lucky enough to chat with John Ludeke, SVP of Global Marketing at Dr. Squatch, who explains the surprising reason why their mascot is a sasquatch, the one question fans can’t stop asking him, and where we might see the mascot land next in 2026.
Has the Dr. Squatch mascot been part of the brand since its inception? Or did the idea for the character come a little bit later?
In the very beginning, the brand was called Sasquatch Soap, so Dr. Squatch has been baked into our identity from the start. Our founder Jack Haldrup had the original idea for a natural, masculine brand with a sense of humor, and his sister, who’s an artist, helped translate that vision into our first logo. A version of that early work is still part of the brand DNA today.
The company name probably had a hand in this, but how did you decide the mascot would be a sasquatch? Were there other characters, or animals, you might have gone with as a mascot but didn’t?
Jack wanted to create a brand that was both natural and masculine but also didn’t take itself too seriously, and that tone helped shape the character early on. As he developed the look and thought more about the brand’s personality, he wanted a character who could represent more than just soap.
https://www.instagram.com/drsquatch/p/DL0AAviNNzb/?hl=en
Dr. Squatch perfectly embodied the duality between man and beast, and represents this not-so-serious vision of living a natural, wild, and free life with a touch of manly refinement. He embodies the fun, humorous persona that defines the brand today. That’s how he landed on Dr. Squatch, and it stuck. We never seriously explored other animals or characters; the sasquatch felt like the perfect match from day one.
How was it decided a mascot selling soap would be clad in a jacket with a tie and a pipe?
The dinner jacket, tie and pipe were intended to speak to his sophistication and intellect. He is a doctor, after all. PhD, not MD.
How would you describe the mascot’s personality?
https://www.instagram.com/drsquatch/p/DJuGs8GuRI2/?hl=en
Dr. Squatch is playful, a little mischievous, and he’s always ready to poke fun without taking himself too seriously. He loves adventure, good jokes, and naturally, all things natural soap – especially our classic scents like Pine Tar and Fresh Falls. As for dislikes, he’s not a fan of anything fake, harsh, or synthetic.
What has the customer response to the mascot been like? I can tell they love to engage with him on social media. Do you ever get frequently asked questions about the mascot from customers you’d like to answer with us?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. People love joking around with him online, and he’s become a fun, memorable face of the brand that really resonates with our audience. Dr. Squatch is all about having a good time with the Squatch nation, and he genuinely enjoys hanging out with them across social and in the comments.
@drsquatch More like y=mx+NOT 😈
One of the most frequently asked questions we get is, “can we please get a plushie of him?” And the answer is … maybe
Dr. Squatch’s mascot is arguably the most famous soap mascot around. As a certified B Corp, how does this visibility translate towards doing more which benefits the Dr. Squatch social and environmental impact?
Our mascot grabs attention, which helps give us a bigger platform to do good. Behind the humor, every move we make is guided by our social and environmental commitments.
As a B Corp, we hold ourselves to higher standards across the business – from using over 98% natural-origin ingredients and sustainably sourcing key materials, to holding our suppliers to fair labor standards and staying transparent with our customers. We maintain a continuous feedback loop to educate, inform, and ensure our products meet the needs of the people who use them.
How would you describe Dr. Squatch’s take on social media? Some brand mascots have unhinged behavior, but yours toes the line well for being well-versed in memes without getting too over the top.
We aim to keep things fun while staying true to the brand’s core values. The mascot gives us room to play in internet culture, yet we ensure the brand stays relatable and grounded.
https://www.instagram.com/drsquatch/p/DKuj4DWM0KX/?hl=en
Our goal is to tap into humor in a way that feels natural for the character and authentic to the brand, not just jump on every trend for the sake of it.
2025 was a big year for the Dr. Squatch mascot. He got invited to the Goodyear Blimp’s 100th birthday and received his first Halloween costume collaboration with Spirit Halloween. Were there any major milestones the mascot experienced this year you were most proud of?
He had fun with the Spirit Halloween collaboration. It was the first time fans could literally step into Dr. Squatch’s shoes and interact with the brand in a whole new way, and it really showed how much people connect with him.
https://www.instagram.com/drsquatch/reel/DL5Jl5OyA3g/?hl=en
Being invited onto the Goodyear Blimp alongside so many other iconic mascots was a true “pinch-me” moment for him. Creating viral content with that lineup helped solidify Squatch as a mascot to watch.
Since his debut, he’s starred in our Social Media Mascot Series, where his playful hijinks shine as he “helps” people with their problems by making them a little dirtier, because it’s always more fun to get messy before you get clean with Dr. Squatch. Next year, we’ll be rolling out even more mascot-led videos that drop him into wild, unexpected scenarios.
Overall, we’re proud of the way he’s become a central part of our brand’s storytelling and helping us bring humor, personality, and approachability to the men’s personal care category.
What does 2026 hold for Dr. Squatch and its mascot?
Without spoiling surprises, expect to see Dr. Squatch show up in more unexpected places and continue shaping the humor and heart of our biggest moments. 2026 is all about scale for the brand: bigger storytelling, more world-building, and deeper integration between the mascot, our products, and the cultural conversations we’re leading.
Image Credits: Dr. Squatch
About the Author
Heather Taylor is the senior writer and editor-in-chief of PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog about brand mascots. Got a pitch on brand mascots or want to wax nostalgic about characters? Drop her a line at howveryheather@gmail.com.
