Apparel brand Dad Gang teams up with Shopify on limited-edition hat drop as sales top $35 million

Bart Szaniewski, Grant Eastey and Ejay O’Donnell had been close friends for years when each of them started becoming a dad. They had a group text where they talked to each other about the highs and lows of fatherhood, and “dad gang” became a phrase they used constantly. But when they looked for products that reflected what being a dad actually meant to them, they found that much of the marketing aimed at fathers leaned heavily on stereotypes.  

“We were looking for something that would represent fatherhood, and we just couldn’t find it,” O’Donnell said. “It was always goofy, dorky stuff — mow lawns, drink beer, wear your Nike Monarchs.”

So one day, Szaniewski, who was working in marketing for other people’s brands, suggested stitching “dad gang” on a hat. Each of them put in $250, for a total investment of $750. The minimum order from the factory was 100 hats. They posted the hats on personal social media and listed them on the brand’s new Shopify store, which Szaniewski had whipped up in under 30 minutes. They sold out in 36 hours.

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