• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, May 31, 2023

One, two, three, four, Dr. Squatch declares a thumb war. The brand is coaxing Alex Honnold, the famed climber from "Free Solo," into a summer of thumb-wrestling smackdowns.

The campaign kicks off next week in Venice Beach, California. Challengers will have a chance to compete against "Big Thumb" Honnold to win money, soap and fame.

Can't make it to California for the kick-off? The brand promises that anytime a fan sees Honnold this summer, he'll accept on-the-spot thumb-wrestling challenges.

A video promoting the events even features a tiny Lucha Libre-style mask, along with the climber's faux promise to leave climbing for his true calling.

Actor and podcaster George Janko will host the matches. (Brand fans will recognize Janko as a regular in the Los Angeles-based company's commercials.) The bouts will also be broadcast on Dr. Squatch's Instagram Stories. Anyone who can beat that colossal thumb gets $250 and a year's supply of its natural soap.

Dr. Squatch says the campaign also ties into the July launch of Honnold's signature soap bar, inspired by the peaks of El Capitan. In 2017, he became the first (and still only) climber to have free climbed a grade VI route on El Capitan, Yosemite’s most famous summit.

The D2C company, which also sells its products in Walmart, hopes the digit drama can spread awareness of men's skin health "and keep men's skin in fighting shape throughout their sweatiest summer activities."

It's not the first time Dr. Squatch has teamed up with Honnold and his big mitts. It kicked off a partnership with the athlete earlier this year for a nature-themed collection. It's also hooked up with NFL star Justin Herbert and explorer/photographer Chris Burkard. The company claims it tries to keep marketing fresh with pop-culture tie-ins, from "Jurassic Park" to Spider-Man to "Star Wars."