DTC1031: DRMTLGY Brand Breakdown

Good morning,

Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:

1️⃣ Where DRMTLGY Can Push Its Meta Ads Further

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Hush Blankets, MLW Foods, and Hup. 👋

‍🤔 Would You Dare To Turn Off Your Meta Ads For 3 Months?

Slumberkins did. Cold turkey.

Post-iOS privacy changes, all metrics were a mess: CPMs rising, targeting broken, creative fatigued—sound familiar?

👉 To combat, Slumberkins used SARAL to build something different. A community of influencers who genuinely loved the brand, posting in their own words.

Then… they shut Meta off completely. Revenue held. First-purchase profitability went up.

When they turned it back on, they ran whitelisted influencer content instead of branded creative. CPC dropped 70% and influencers generated 2x more impressions than search ads.

The influencer program didn't just replace paid reach. It made Meta perform better. 🚀

Slumberkins built it with SARAL—handling influencer discovery, personalised mass outreach, relationship management, and performance tracking—all with a team of two.

The question isn't whether influencers work. It's whether you've built the system to make paid ads optional.

‍💰 Trend-Based Creatives and Opportunities in Messaging

DRMTLGY is a Los Angeles-based skincare brand founded in 2017, focused on making dermatologist-grade, science-backed formulas more accessible.

Built on decades of formulation expertise, the brand offers a streamlined lineup of high-performance products—from sunscreens to anti-aging treatments—without luxury markups.

Growing rapidly through its direct-to-consumer channel, DRMTLGY has supported over 5 million skincare routines.

More recently, its expansion into 1,400+ Ulta Beauty stores marks a meaningful shift from DTC disruptor to scaled omnichannel brand.

The Pilothouse Meta team reviewed several recent ads and identified opportunities to push performance further.

Image Ad #1

“Apology-style” posts were a major social trend last year, and DRMTLGY has effectively adapted the format into paid ads.

The bold “we’re sorry” headline is an effective scroll-stopper. It creates curiosity and encourages users to pause.

However, trend-based formats tend to fatigue quickly.

This concept has now been widely replicated across brands. With the rise of generative AI, these formats are also easier to produce, which can further dilute their impact.

It’s also worth noting DRMTLGY is running a Black Friday-style ad in March. This is a common and often effective tactic, reviving historically strong creatives with built-in engagement and learnings from BFCM.

💡 Pilothouse Tip:

✅ Don’t rely too heavily on saturated trends. Early adoption can drive outsized returns, but once a format becomes common, performance typically declines.

Continue evolving toward original concepts rooted in real customer insights, particularly intent-driven pain points that speak directly to your core buyer.

Image Ad #2

Referencing “Ozempic Face” is a sharp strategic choice. It taps into a highly relevant cultural and medical trend, immediately capturing attention.

The ad does a strong job of clarifying the concept in the subheadline (“rapid weight loss can age your face”) before positioning the Needle-less Growth Factor Serum as the solution.

Including real UGC comments from multiple platforms adds credibility and helps reduce skepticism.

Why this positioning works:

Skincare is a saturated category. Brands that win (especially newer entrants) are those that define and dominate a niche.

While many products address elasticity, this creative succeeds by anchoring the benefit to a specific, timely use case that resonates with a growing audience segment.

That specificity not only improves engagement but also helps Meta’s Andromeda algorithm better understand who to serve the ad to.

💡 Pilothouse Tip:

✅ Lean into clearly defined pain points. The more explicit and relevant the problem, the more efficiently Meta can identify high-intent users.

Post-Andromeda, precision in messaging often outperforms broad appeal.

Keep reading for more on DRMTLGY’s video ads. 👇

‍🚨 Consumers Think SMS is a Conversation. Most Brands Still Treat It Like a Broadcast.

That mismatch shows up fast when customers reply with purchase questions and wait… and wait.

New data from 840+ operators and 1,000 consumers reveals where response expectations are rising and where brands are still behind.

If SMS is part of your retention stack, this is a gap worth measuring.

The report is free.

‍Video Ad #1

One video ad highlights a compelling insight: targeting users who want effective skincare results but aren’t ready for Botox.

The emphasis on “needle-less” is particularly strong for this audience.

However, there’s a slight disconnect between the hook and the rest of the messaging.

The ad opens by calling out “skincare junkies,” but immediately follows with messaging around “ignoring wrinkles,” which may not fully align with that audience, given their level of skincare familiarity.

The ad also tries to speak to multiple segments at once:

• Beginners ignoring wrinkles
• Users relying on basic moisturizers
• Advanced users jumping to Botox too quickly

This can dilute the message and potentially weaken overall performance.

💡 Pilothouse Tip:

✅ Build creatives around a single, clearly defined audience. Instead of combining multiple personas, consider breaking these into separate ads:

• Wrinkle prevention → beginners
• Moisturizer reliance → novices
• Avoiding early Botox → advanced users

More focused creatives tend to outperform broader ones, especially on Meta.

Video Ad #2

This video performs well by focusing a specific and relatable issue: concealer creasing.

The use of diverse UGC clips builds trust, and the before-and-after visuals effectively demonstrate the product’s value across different ages and skin types.

One area to push further is the first 5–15 seconds.

The impact could be even stronger if the ad immediately showed the contrast (e.g., heavy concealer vs. improved results with DRMTLGY) before moving into supporting content.

💡 Pilothouse Tip:

✅ Front-load visual proof. The faster you demonstrate the transformation, the more likely you are to retain attention and drive engagement.

There’s also an opportunity to expand this into a structured content series:

• Older audience: focus on creasing and correction
• Younger audience: focus on prevention and ingredients

Conclusion

There’s a strong foundation here, with clear signs that DRMTLGY understands the importance of niche positioning, particularly with creative angles like “Ozempic Face.”

That said, there’s an opportunity to improve performance by tightening message-to-audience alignment.

In a saturated category like skincare, differentiation becomes critical. The brands that win aren’t trying to speak to everyone. They’re speaking directly to someone.

DRMTLGY is already moving in that direction. The next step is building more consistency across that approach.

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🤝 GAP becomes the exclusive apparel sponsor of Coachella. The clothing brand will debut a Hoodie House pop up at the desert festival that connects fashion, music, and culture. Read more →

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DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.

Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * contain sponsored content.