Brands That Went Viral and Got Acquired Shortly After

Dr. Squatch made soap videos that millions watched. Then it put Sydney Sweeney in a bath and sold soap made from her bathwater. Unilever bought the brand. Rhode hit $212 million in net sales in under three years. e.l.f. Beauty paid $1 billion. Poppi went from a Shark Tank pitch to a Super Bowl ad to a $1.95 billion PepsiCo acquisition.

Viral fame increasingly leads to acquisition. The pattern is consistent. A brand builds an audience through social media, influencer partnerships, or celebrity endorsement. Demand spikes. A major conglomerate acquires the brand to capture that audience and the first-party data that comes with it.

We tracked the brands that went viral and got acquired shortly after. The pattern reveals how major conglomerates use acquisitions to capture viral brands. For more on the psychology behind why consumers feel betrayed when favourite brands get acquired, see our why people feel betrayed when favourite brand gets acquired.

The Viral-to-Acquisition Pipeline

The viral-to-acquisition pipeline has four stages. A brand builds an audience through social media, influencer partnerships, or celebrity endorsement. Demand spikes. A major conglomerate acquires the brand. The conglomerate integrates the brand into its portfolio to capture the audience and the first-party data.

The pipeline works because viral brands solve a problem that conglomerates cannot solve internally. Conglomerates are slow. Viral brands are fast. Conglomerates have scale. Viral brands have cultural relevance. The acquisition gives the conglomerate cultural relevance. The conglomerate gives the viral brand scale.

The pattern is accelerating. In 2025 alone, Unilever acquired Dr. Squatch, e.l.f. Beauty acquired Rhode, and PepsiCo completed its Poppi acquisition. L'Oréal acquired a majority stake in Innovist in June 2026. The viral-to-acquisition pipeline is now a core corporate strategy.

Case: Dr. Squatch and Unilever

Dr. Squatch made soap videos that millions watched. The brand built a loyal following among Gen Z men through viral social media marketing and partnerships with influencers and celebrities.

In October 2024, Sydney Sweeney made her debut as Dr. Squatch's "Body Wash Genie" in a campaign promoting the handmade men's personal care brand's natural soap. The crew filled a separate tub with purified water. After Sweeney bathed in it, they collected it, treated it, and infused it into 8,000 bars of "Bathwater Bliss" soap.

By June 2025, in the five days since the product was unveiled on Instagram, 973,000 people had entered a giveaway to receive 100 of the limited-run bars. One comment underneath the original Instagram campaign asking for the liquid received 40,000 likes.

Unilever announced the acquisition of Dr. Squatch in 2025. Unilever praised the brand's "built-in-culture" approach, established through viral social media marketing and partnerships with influencers and celebrities like Sydney Sweeney. The deal is part of the CPG giant's efforts to align its portfolio around premium and high-growth verticals.

The DTC aspect of the business gives Unilever more first-party data to work with at a time when refining personalization and targeting are of pressing importance for marketers. Dr. Squatch was previously owned by growth equity firm Summit Partners.

For more on Unilever's acquisition strategy, see our Unilever acquisitions history.

Case: Rhode and e.l.f. Beauty

Rhode, the upstart beauty brand founded by Hailey Bieber, hit $212 million in net sales in the 12 months that ended March 31, 2025. The brand was not yet three years old.

e.l.f. Beauty announced the acquisition on May 28, 2025, in a deal worth up to $1 billion. The deal is comprised of $800 million of consideration payable at closing in a combination of cash and stock, and an additional potential earnout consideration of $200 million based on the future growth of the brand over a three-year timeframe.

Bieber will continue her role as Founder and additionally serve as Rhode's Chief Creative Officer and Head of Innovation, overseeing creative, product innovation and marketing. She will also act as a Strategic Advisor to the combined companies.

Rhode was the No. 1 skin care brand in Earned Media Value in 2024, representing 367 percent year over year EMV growth. The brand's growth came primarily through its website, but it planned to launch in Sephora stores throughout North America and the U.K. before the end of the year.

The acquisition is e.l.f.'s biggest ever, eclipsing its $355 million purchase of skin care brand Naturium in 2023. Tarang Amin, the chief executive of e.l.f. Beauty, said he was eager to close on it to marry the Gen Alpha fans Bieber has pulled in with the millennials and Gen Z consumers whom e.l.f. has traditionally relied on.

Case: Poppi and PepsiCo

Poppi's rise from kitchen experiment to $1.95 billion acquisition is the clearest example of the viral-to-acquisition pipeline.

Allison and Stephen Ellsworth pitched their prebiotic soda on Shark Tank in 2018, when it was still called Mother Beverage. Investor Rohan Oza took a stake and undertook a major rebrand. Poppi, with its brightly-colored, fruit-forward cans, was born.

The brand took a community- and culture-first approach, from bold packaging to a strong social media presence, viral TikTok campaigns, and influencer partnerships. Poppi ran a Super Bowl ad in February 2025, drawing backlash for gifting full-sized Poppi vending machines to influencers.

PepsiCo announced the acquisition on March 17, 2025, for $1.95 billion, including $300 million of anticipated cash tax benefits for a net purchase price of $1.65 billion. The transaction also includes an additional potential earnout consideration subject to the achievement of certain performance milestones. PepsiCo completed the acquisition on May 19, 2025.

Rohan Oza, who invested in Poppi on Shark Tank, called the brand proof of the American Dream, from the kitchen to Shark Tank to an iconic brand. The acquisition is a major step in PepsiCo's ongoing transformation of its portfolio toward functional products.

For more on the Shark Tank to acquisition pipeline, see our Shark Tank brands who owns them now.

Case: Innovist and L'Oréal

L'Oréal announced on June 18, 2026, that it had signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Innovist, a leading house of personal care brands in India. The deal is L'Oréal's first acquisition in India in nearly 13 years.

Innovist is one of the fastest growing science-led and digital-first personal care companies in India. Behind rising popular brands such as Bare Anatomy and Chemist at Play, Innovist is built on a commitment to clean formulations and transparent ingredients, supported by its strong in-house research and development and manufacturing capabilities.

The company reported a 182 percent jump in revenue to Rs 301 crore in FY25 and swung to a net profit of Rs 12.5 crore, compared with revenue of Rs 106 crore and a net loss of Rs 11.9 crore a year earlier. The deal was pegged at around Rs 4,000 crore, roughly $480 million.

Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO at L'Oréal, said the investment in the Indian startup shows the company's commitment to expanding L'Oréal's footprint in India. The Innovist founding team will remain in place as minority shareholders and will continue to operate and scale the business in collaboration with L'Oréal India.

Source: Unilever, e.l.f. Beauty, PepsiCo, L'Oréal press releases. All brand ownership data verified through WhoBrands.com research methodology.

Why Conglomerates Buy Viral Brands

Conglomerates acquire viral brands for three reasons.

Cultural relevance. Conglomerates are slow. Viral brands are fast. Unilever praised Dr. Squatch's "built-in-culture" brand. e.l.f. wanted Rhode's Gen Alpha fans. PepsiCo wanted Poppi's Gen Z and millennial community. L'Oréal wanted Innovist's digitally-savvy Indian beauty consumers.

First-party data. The DTC aspect of viral brands gives conglomerates first-party data. Unilever gets Dr. Squatch's customer data. e.l.f. gets Rhode's customer data. PepsiCo gets Poppi's customer data. L'Oréal gets Innovist's customer data. At a time when refining personalization and targeting are of pressing importance for marketers, first-party data is the most valuable asset in the acquisition.

Portfolio transformation. Conglomerates use acquisitions to transform their portfolios. PepsiCo's acquisition of Poppi is part of its ongoing transformation toward functional products. Unilever's acquisition of Dr. Squatch is part of its shift toward premium and high-growth verticals. L'Oréal's acquisition of Innovist is part of its expansion in India's fast-growing beauty industry.

For more on why conglomerates acquire brands, see our why conglomerates buy independent brands.

The Unilever Precedent: Dollar Shave Club

Unilever has been here before. The corporate giant acquired Dollar Shave Club in 2016 for what seems almost identical reasons: viral marketing that challenged industry giants. Seven years later, Unilever confessed the acquisition had not reaped the rewards.

Forbes noted that Unilever's Dr. Squatch acquisition faces three critical challenges. The conglomerate must learn how to protect the Dr. Squatch brand after the acquisition. Gen Z men are the driving force behind the rapid growth in male grooming products. To succeed with Dr. Squatch, Unilever must learn how to protect the brand's cultural relevance.

The Dollar Shave Club precedent is a warning. Viral brands that lose their cultural relevance after acquisition lose their value. The conglomerate that acquires a viral brand must protect the brand's identity, not just integrate it into the corporate portfolio. For more on consumer reactions to acquisitions, see our when consumer pressure forces a brand ownership change.

What This Means for Brand Ownership

The viral-to-acquisition pipeline is now a core corporate strategy. Major conglomerates are actively scouting viral brands for acquisition. The brands that go viral are the brands that get acquired.

The pattern is accelerating. In 18 months, Unilever, e.l.f. Beauty, PepsiCo, and L'Oréal collectively spent over $4 billion acquiring viral brands. The pipeline will continue as long as viral brands solve the cultural relevance problem that conglomerates cannot solve internally.

Use WhoBrands.com to trace the ownership behind every viral brand. The brand you discovered on TikTok last year may now be owned by a multinational conglomerate. For more on how to research brand ownership, see our how to research a parent company before buying their products.

FAQ

Which viral brands got acquired? Dr. Squatch was acquired by Unilever in 2025 after viral marketing including the Sydney Sweeney "Bathwater Bliss" campaign. Rhode was acquired by e.l.f. Beauty in May 2025 for $1 billion. Poppi was acquired by PepsiCo in March 2025 for $1.95 billion. Innovist was acquired by L'Oréal in June 2026 for approximately $480 million.

Why do conglomerates buy viral brands? Conglomerates buy viral brands for cultural relevance, first-party data, and portfolio transformation. Viral brands solve a problem that conglomerates cannot solve internally: speed and cultural relevance. The acquisition gives the conglomerate cultural relevance and customer data. The conglomerate gives the viral brand scale.

How much did Unilever pay for Dr. Squatch? Unilever did not disclose the financial terms of the Dr. Squatch acquisition. Dr. Squatch was previously owned by growth equity firm Summit Partners. Unilever praised the brand's "built-in-culture" approach and viral social media marketing as key deal drivers.

How much did e.l.f. Beauty pay for Rhode? e.l.f. Beauty acquired Rhode in a deal worth up to $1 billion, comprised of $800 million payable at closing in cash and stock, plus an additional potential $200 million earnout based on Rhode's growth over three years. The acquisition is e.l.f.'s biggest ever, eclipsing its $355 million purchase of Naturium in 2023.

Explore Related Brands

• Rhode -- e.l.f. Beauty skincare brand founded by Hailey Bieber, acquired for $1 billion
• Poppi -- PepsiCo prebiotic soda brand, acquired for $1.95 billion
• Dollar Shave Club -- Unilever grooming brand, the precedent for viral brand acquisitions
• Fenty Beauty -- LVMH-linked beauty brand built on celebrity cultural influence
• Bare Anatomy -- Innovist haircare brand, now part of L'Oréal
• Savage X Fenty -- LVMH-linked lingerie brand built on viral celebrity marketing

Browse all beauty and personal care brands

Also read: Shark Tank Brands: Who Owns Them Now -- how Shark Tank appearances launch brands that later get acquired by major conglomerates.

Sources

1. Unilever: Unilever to acquire men's personal care brand Dr. Squatch -- https://www.unilever.com/news/press-and-media/press-releases/2025/unilever-to-acquire-mens-personal-care-brand-dr-squatch/ 2. Marketing Dive: Unilever acquires Dr. Squatch, valuing brand's viral marketing to Gen Z men -- https://www.marketingdive.com/news/unilever-acquires-dr-squatch-valuing-brands-viral-marketing-to-gen-z-men/751304/ 3. e.l.f. Beauty: e.l.f. Beauty Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire rhode in $1 Billion Deal -- https://investor.elfbeauty.com/stock-and-financial/press-releases/landing-news/2025/05-28-2025-210536607 4. AP News: Cosmetics company E.l.f acquires Hailey Bieber's Rhode beauty brand for $1 billion -- https://apnews.com/article/hailey-bieber-rhode-elf-beauty-cosmetics-e50afe56cd3d7e6caa004bcc7eeb420b 5. PepsiCo: PepsiCo to Acquire poppi -- https://www.pepsico.com/newsroom/press-releases/2025/pepsico-to-acquire-poppi 6. Reuters: PepsiCo to buy prebiotic soda brand Poppi for nearly $2 billion -- https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/pepsico-buy-healthier-soda-brand-poppi-nearly-2-bln-deal-2025-03-17/ 7. L'Oréal: L'Oréal to acquire a majority stake in Innovist -- https://www.loreal.com/en/press-release/group/l-oreal-to-acquire-a-majority-stake-in-innovist/ 8. Adweek: 1 Million Fans Entered Dr. Squatch's Sydney Sweeney Bathwater Soap Giveaway -- https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/1-million-fans-entered-dr-squatchs-sydney-sweeney-bathwater-soap-giveaway/ 9. Forbes: Unilever's Dr. Squatch Acquisition Faces 3 Critical Challenges -- https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferjfondrevay/2025/07/01/unilevers-dr-squatch-acquisition-faces-three-critical-challenges/

All brand ownership data verified through WhoBrands.com research methodology. Last updated: August 2026.

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