Our Three Step Process
Turning a Loss-Making Ad Account into a Scalable Growth Engine for Dad Brand Apparel
Dad Brand Apparel is a fanwear brand offering hats and clothing for the everyday dad, sitting in the medium-price segment. After suffering heavy losses due to post-iOS 14 data disruptions and an outdated ad strategy, the brand turned to Highlight Digital to rebuild from the ground up. In just under a year, we transformed their Facebook/Instagram campaigns from a 0.19 ROAS to 1.92, scaled monthly purchases from 41 to 5,238, and lowered CPA by over 91%.
Dad Brand Apparel had built a loyal niche audience but struggled to adapt to the new privacy-first advertising environment ushered in by iOS 14. At the time we joined, their Facebook/Instagram ad campaigns were significantly underperforming — the ROAS had dropped to just 0.19, and each sale was costing over $240 in ad spend. Without a course correction, they were at risk of losing traction altogether.
Challenge:
The brand faced several performance blockers that were deeply limiting its ability to scale:
• iOS 14 Fallout: Loss of attribution data crippled optimization.
• Over-reliance on DPA (Dynamic Product Ads): The only campaigns running were catalog ads pushing best-sellers.
• No Creative or Audience Testing: Stagnant ads were being served to exhausted audiences.
• Pixel & Product Catalog Issues: Match rate between Pixel events and Shopify catalog was just 1%, sending bad signals to Meta’s algorithm and severely limiting optimization potential.
Solution:
Step 1: Data-Driven Decision Making with Triple Whale
We implemented Triple Whale as a first-party data solution to move away from over-reliance on Meta’s reported performance. This gave us a clearer view of true attribution and allowed us to make smarter decisions based on actual revenue impact.
Step 2: Full Funnel Restructure
We rebuilt the entire campaign architecture into a 3-stage funnel, each with its own strategy:
• Cold (TOF): Focused on introducing the brand through high-quality creatives, humor, and lifestyle positioning. Used fresh audiences and creative formats to restart algorithm learning.
• Warm (MOF): Targeted engagers, video viewers, and website visitors with product-focused messaging and social proof.
• Hot (BOF): Retargeted cart abandoners and product viewers with urgency messaging, bundle offers, and dynamic content.
Step 3: Creative & Product Testing Engine
We launched ongoing creative testing with:
• New ad formats (video, carousel, UGC)
• Multiple copy/angle variations per product
• Regular rotation of featured products — not just best-sellers
• A/B testing of new product launches to identify breakout performers
Step 4: Technical Fixes to Product Catalog Sync
A major breakthrough came when we diagnosed the 1% match rate between the Facebook Pixel and Shopify product catalog. We fully resynchronized the catalog, ensuring data integrity and proper event matching. This led to a 4x increase in ROAS the following month, unlocking the algorithm’s full optimization potential.
Results: From Losses to Scalable Profit
Metric | % Change |
|---|---|
Ad Spend | +398% |
Purchases | +12,672% |
Revenue | +11,443% |
ROAS | +910% |
Key Takeaways:
Dad Brand Apparel is a textbook case of how data-led strategy, technical precision, and funnel-based creative execution can completely turn around a failing ad account, even in a post-iOS 14 world. By ditching the “set it and forget it” approach and giving the account the structure, creativity, and testing it needed, we turned a liability into a scalable revenue driver.
Testimonial:
“Before working with Highlight Digital, we were flying blind. Our ad account was a money pit, and we had no idea how to fix it. These guys didn’t just make ads better — they rewired our entire digital strategy. We’re now scaling confidently and profitably, and our brand has never been stronger.”
— Thomas Marquart, Founder of DadBrand Apparel
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