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👋 The attention economy just got weirder — "Euphoria" star Sydney Sweeney proved there's literally no limit to what fans will buy by selling bathwater-infused soap bars for $200 each. The entire collection sold out faster than concert tickets, because apparently nothing says luxury like celebrity hygiene products.

Read time: 4 minutes | 780 words

STORY 

🛁 Sydney Sweeney's Bathwater Soap

The Announcement That Broke the Internet. When Sydney Sweeney casually dropped the news on Instagram that she was launching a limited-edition soap collection made with her actual bathwater, the internet collectively lost its mind. The "Euphoria" star's post garnered 3.2 million likes in under two hours, with comments ranging from shocked disbelief to immediate purchase demands.

What seemed like an elaborate joke quickly revealed itself as a legitimate business venture. Sweeney partnered with boutique cosmetics brand Ethereal Elements to create 1,000 handcrafted soap bars, each containing what they claimed was "genuine Sydney Sweeney bathwater essence."

The $200 Soap Bar Phenomenon. Priced at $200 per bar, the "Sydney's Suds" collection promised customers a chance to literally wash themselves with water that had touched Hollywood's golden girl. Each soap came with a certificate of authenticity and was packaged in a custom wooden box with Sweeney's signature.

The marketing copy read: "Experience luxury like never before with our exclusive bathwater-infused soap collection. Each bar contains purified and treated water from Sydney's personal bathing rituals, combined with premium organic ingredients."

Critics immediately questioned the hygiene implications, while fans dismissed concerns as jealousy.

The 47-Second Sellout. When the online store went live at 3 PM PST, what happened next shocked even Sweeney herself. The entire collection sold out in exactly 47 seconds, crashing the website multiple times due to overwhelming traffic.

Within minutes, resellers appeared on eBay offering the soap bars for $2,000 each. Some listings reached $5,000 before the platform intervened. The immediate secondary market explosion demonstrated the incredible power of celebrity influence in the digital age.

The Unexpected Business Genius. What initially appeared as a publicity stunt revealed itself as a masterclass in scarcity marketing. Sweeney's team had studied the success of other celebrity-endorsed unusual products, from Gwyneth Paltrow's controversial candles to Logan Paul's energy drinks.

The bathwater soap tapped into multiple psychological triggers: celebrity worship, FOMO (fear of missing out), and the human desire for exclusive experiences. Marketing experts noted that Sweeney had essentially monetized her personal brand in the most literal way possible.

The Cultural Impact. The soap sellout sparked countless memes, think pieces, and debates about celebrity culture. Late-night talk show hosts dedicated entire segments to the phenomenon, while social media exploded with reactions ranging from admiration to absolute bewilderment.

Today, "Sydney's Suds" remains one of the fastest-selling celebrity products in history, proving that in 2025's attention economy, there truly are no limits to what fans will buy from their favorite stars.

Related: Sydney says she actually pitched this idea herself.

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INSIGHT

🧠 The Real Genius Behind Sydney's Soap

The company behind Sydney Sweeney's bathwater soap probably paid her more than the $200,000 they made from sales—but that completely misses the point. As Alex Hormozi brilliantly observed, they weren't selling soap at all. They were buying global conversation.

The formula is simple:

• Do something absolutely absurd for a very small amount of people so that a very large amount of people talk about it. 

Every meme, news article, and shocked reaction became free advertising worth millions. The soap sellout wasn't a product launch—it was a conversation starter disguised as commerce.

In 2025's attention economy, being talked about is worth more than being bought. People don't share normal things. Nobody posts about buying regular soap, but bathwater soap? That's content gold.

The more ridiculous the concept, the more it demands to be discussed. The real product wasn't soap—it was attention. And that sold out faster than anything.

ACTION

🎯 Action Steps for Real Businesses

Without a major celeb attached, how can your business replicate this idea?

1. Start Small, Think Viral. Create one absurdly memorable moment rather than bland consistency

• Local plumber in Texas: Started arriving to jobs in a tuxedo, now books solid and charges premium rates

2. The Controversy Formula. Take a polarizing stance on something trivial in your industry

• Wendy's: Roasted McDonald's frozen beef on Twitter, started a fast-food war, sales jumped 4%

3. Scarcity + Urgency = Conversation. Limit quantities artificially low to create FOMO and talking points

• Local bakery: Advertised "We only make 50 croissants daily," became the town's hottest breakfast spot

4. Micro-Fame Strategy. Become locally famous for something weird before going broader

• Salt Bae: Sprinkled salt in a weird way at one restaurant, became global chain owner worth millions

MEME