LSU gymnast and social media phenomenon Olivia “Livvy” Dunne has demonstrated a master class in monetizing online moments, turning an awkward viral image of her sweaty armpits into a major brand endorsement deal with Secret Deodorant.
The saga began in September when Dunne, the girlfriend of Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes, was filmed in the stands at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. As she nervously cheered for Skenes during his final start of the season, broadcast cameras captured her with visible sweat marks on her white top, arms raised overhead in agitation.
The clip quickly went viral across social media platforms, leading to both playful jabs and critical comments from users. Dunne, however, has deftly flipped the script on the embarrassing moment.
In her announcement this week on Instagram, shared with her more than 5 million followers, Dunne humorously admitted that the incident was a case of “stress sweat” and confessed that she “found out the hard way” about the problem. The post then transitioned into a pitch for Secret Clinical Strength, which she framed as the solution she wished her “past self” had used.
— No Context Pittsburgh (@PGHNoContext) September 24, 2025
“Now I can cheer and get excited without worrying about the replay,” Dunne wrote in her caption, which was tagged as an advertisement. She went on to call the product a “10 out of 10 recommend to my past self.”
The move has been lauded by business commentators and fans alike for its savvy response to public scrutiny. In an era where athlete influencers are expected to maintain an image of perfection, Dunne chose to embrace the vulnerability of the viral clip and turn it into a profitable opportunity under the NCAA’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules.
Social media reactions to the brand deal were overwhelmingly positive, recognizing the financial acumen behind the pivot. Comments poured in, calling the move a “Master class in capitalizing” and “Icon behavior,” with one user noting, “You took an embarrassing moment and turned it into $$.”
While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the partnership solidifies Dunne’s status as one of college athletics’ most successful entrepreneurs, showing that for a new generation of influencers, even public moments of stress and perspiration can be leveraged for lucrative marketing success.
Flip the pages for Olivia Dunne’s brand new swimsuit photos.
