The Saratoga meme centers around a viral trend sparked by fitness influencer Ashton Hall’s elaborate morning routine video, which prominently features Saratoga Spring Water. Hall, who shared the video in early February 2025, details a nearly six-hour regimen starting at 3:50 AM, involving quirky habits like removing mouth tape, dunking his face in a bowl of ice-cold Saratoga water, rubbing banana peels on his face, and performing a dramatic four-minute mid-air pool leap. The video, which has amassed over 100 million views across platforms like TikTok and Instagram, exploded in popularity, and it became a meme sensation by mid-March 2025.
The meme culture around Saratoga water focuses on the absurdity and perceived extravagance of Hall’s routine, especially his repeated use of the premium, cobalt-blue bottled water for everything from drinking to face-dunking. Social media users have latched onto this, creating a flood of humorous content—memes, parody videos, and recreations—mocking the over-the-top nature of Hall’s habits. For instance, NBA star Anthony Edwards joined the trend by posting an Instagram story with a bowl of ice water, a Saratoga bottle, and bananas, captioned “Locked in. ” a phrase that became a meme staple. Sports teams and brands like Spotify and Halo also jumped in, sharing their takes on the “Ashton Hall pool leap” meme, often exaggerating the timestamps for comedic effect.
The viral trend has had a tangible impact on Saratoga Spring Water, a brand owned by Primo Brands (formerly under BlueTriton, which acquired it in 2021). Google searches for Saratoga water spiked by 1,379% following the video’s rise, and Primo Brands saw its stock value increase by over 11% since March 10, 2025, with a 2% uptick directly attributed to the meme frenzy. Social media posts have speculated about the confusion at Saratoga’s headquarters, with users joking about the CEO, Adam Madkour (who has led the company since 1992 but sold assets to BlueTriton in 2021), being baffled by the sudden sales surge. However, Primo Brands’ chief marketing officer, Kheri Tillman, clarified that the viral moment wasn’t a planned campaign, though they’ve since reached out to Hall for a potential partnership, leaning into the trend with Instagram posts acknowledging the “pore perfection” of Hall’s ice-water routine.
The meme has also sparked broader cultural commentary. Some see it as a critique of influencer culture’s excesses, with Hall’s earnestness—his motivational lines like “We gotta do at least 10,000”—becoming fodder for satire. Others, like Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford, view it as a boon, comparing the free publicity to the city’s exposure during the Belmont Stakes. Meanwhile, posts reflect mixed sentiment: some users criticize Saratoga for not fully capitalizing on the viral moment with faster, AI-driven content strategies, while others, like
One argues the brand made the right call by not leaning too heavily into the “cringe” meme, preserving its luxury positioning.
In essence, the Saratoga meme is a blend of internet humor, influencer absurdity, and unexpected brand exposure, driving both laughs and sales while highlighting the unpredictable power of social media trends.
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