MY DEAD GRANDPA

Turning a vintage clothing collection into
Australia’s largest warehouse
MY DEAD GRANDPA /OVERVIEW

Turning a collector’s obsession into Australia’s largest vintage warehouse.

My Dead Grandpa began as the passion project of an obsessive collector whose vintage treasures needed to become a business. What started as a niche love for nostalgia had the potential to be a full-scale retail experience, but it lacked focus. Our mission was to take this massive, chaotic collection and transform it into a scalable brand that could capture the public’s imagination and dominate the Australian vintage market.

CHALLENGE

The primary challenge was a lack of focus. The founder’s massive inventory spanned from 1930s dresses to 90s streetwear and furniture, making the target audience unclear. We needed to define a scalable identity and merchandising strategy that could cut through the noise of a saturated vintage market. This required distilling the brand’s authentic, chaotic charm into a clear proposition that would ensure the new venture stood out instantly and resonated with a core audience.

APPROACH

We used data to find our focus. By split testing ad campaigns for different eras and product categories, we validated market demand before committing to a direction. The results were clear: 90s streetwear, framed as a social “hunt” with friends, resonated most powerfully. This insight shaped the entire brand identity, which we amplified with a shocking, PR-magnet name and a loud, red warehouse. This generated viral buzz and 35,000 followers before the doors even opened.

MY DEAD GRANDPA /PRODUCT MARKET FIT TESTING

Product Market Fit Testing

To find product-market fit within a chaotic and unfocused inventory, we treated the brand as a live experiment before launch. Instead of guessing what would resonate, we used data-driven split testing to validate demand itself. We created multiple ad campaigns, each testing a different era and product category—from 1950s Americana to 1990s skatewear—and measured real-world engagement and conversion data. This process didn’t just test visuals; it let the market define the brand. The data revealed a clear winner in 1990s streetwear, proving a scalable demand existed and simultaneously uncovering the core emotional hook: the “joy of the hunt” with friends.

90’s Streetwear 7% CTR
Vinyls 5% CTR
Female Outfits 2% CTR
Antiques 3% CTR
MY DEAD GRANDPA /TESTIMONIAL
CUT THRU’s data-driven approach built a 35,000-strong cult following for us before we even opened our doors. Ben Troup, Founder
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BRAND IDENTITY

An Identity Built by Data, 
Not Just Nostalgia

Our data-driven approach allowed us to validate market demand before launch, shaping an identity centered on the social joy of a “hunt with friends” for 90s streetwear. We amplified this insight with a shocking, PR-magnet name and a loud, red warehouse that became an instant landmark. The result was a cohesive and highly resonant brand that generated viral buzz and a cult following before the doors even opened, turning a collector’s obsession into a cultural phenomenon.

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