{"id":20653,"date":"2022-12-02T21:51:50","date_gmt":"2022-12-02T21:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/02\/canns-holiday-ad-sees-a-family-gathering-saved-by-weed-soda\/"},"modified":"2022-12-02T21:51:50","modified_gmt":"2022-12-02T21:51:50","slug":"canns-holiday-ad-sees-a-family-gathering-saved-by-weed-soda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/02\/canns-holiday-ad-sees-a-family-gathering-saved-by-weed-soda\/","title":{"rendered":"Cann’s Holiday Ad Sees a Family Gathering Saved by Weed Soda"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This recipe for disaster contains the following ingredients: disparate family members contained under one roof for an extended period, high-stress rituals like gift-giving and formal dining and copious amounts of alcohol.<\/p>\n

Shake vigorously, and the result is as explosive as it is predictable.<\/p>\n

Cann, the top-selling weed-laced soda with an A-list celebrity following, uses its annual end-of-year<\/a> campaign to acknowledge what many people already know\u2014the holidays can be a toxic stew of drunken conflict\u2014and ask the question, \u201cWhy not get baked instead?\u201d<\/p>\n

In a scenario that\u2019s heavily stylized and darkly comedic, Cann<\/a> solves one family\u2019s dramatic clash with its low-dose THC drinks and quick delivery from the new Jane cannabis shopping app.<\/p>\n

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The 3-minute video, written and directed by actor-filmmaker Lake Bell<\/a>, features a diverse cast and an original song from Grizzly Bear\u2019s Chris Bear. Raja Gemini, a makeup artist, model and past RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race winner, appears as the \u201cfairy cannmother,\u201d providing the memorable line, \u201cMerry microdosing, motherf*cker.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the nearly dialogue-free ad marks a creative shift for the brand, it continues the Cann positioning as a \u201csocial tonic\u201d and an alternative to traditional liquor-based cocktails.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to take the idea of a family gathering, which is a source of anxiety that some people dread and rely on alcohol to get through, and hold a magnifying glass up to it,\u201d Luke Anderson<\/a>, Cann co-founder, told Adweek. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t look good from the outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

The short film, dubbed \u201cCann-Do Holiday,\u201d goes from \u201cmoody and negative to dreamy and euphoric,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cIt\u2019s the before and after.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cheers, my dears<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Cann\u2019s latest work drops as THC-spiked drinks are surging nationally. Still a niche category\u2014making up less than 2% of total cannabis sales\u2014the products have exploded in popularity, hailed as sessionable and approachable, especially for the uninitiated. Along with edibles like gummies and chocolates, beverages are now considered \u201cperennial winners\u201d during the busy fourth quarter, per Headset<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On the recent Green Wednesday-Danksgiving long weekend, sales of weed sodas, seltzers, powders and cocktails jumped 13.2%, per Headset\u2019s analysis of seven states. The year-end period could bring more of the same good tidings for the category, based on past performance; Headset says drinks saw a 16.6% boost at Christmas 2021.<\/p>\n

Some particular bright spots: Sales grew an eye-popping 272% year over year in Michigan in 2022, according to Headset\u2019s report, while states like Massachusetts, Washington and California saw double-digit bumps.<\/p>\n

The data wasn\u2019t all positive for the sector, though, with Headset noting that Nevada, Maryland, Oregon and Colorado saw demand drop. Meantime, the market has been flooded with new brands\u2014an increase of 65% since January 2021\u2014which could mean there\u2019s more supply than demand or buyers are overwhelmed by their choices.<\/p>\n

The researcher also said that consumers seem to be gravitating to the higher-dose drinks, where buyers get more bang for their buck.<\/p>\n

Cann\u2019s primary target has been the casual weed user, teetotalers (or the \u201cCali sober\u201d) and the massive addressable audience that may not currently consume but would be open to try. The brand\u2019s drinks, containing 2 milligrams to 5 milligrams of THC, could qualify as a good on-ramp for such potential buyers.<\/p>\n

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Tastes better than eggnog<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The average American drinks 27% more alcohol during the holiday season compared to the rest of the year, according to a recent study from Sunrise House, with 23% considering themselves \u201cheavy drinkers\u201d between Thanksgiving and New Year and 27% saying they consume stronger liquor during that time.<\/p>\n

Cann means to address the outcome of such behavior and urge people to reconsider their relationship with alcohol, albeit in a rather light-hearted, high-concept way, with its video that stars Mickey Sumner (Snowpiercer, Frances Ha), Meg Stalter<\/a> (Hacks), comedian Benito Skinner and actor Bre-Z among the eclectic cast.<\/p>\n

Shot last month at a home in Los Angeles\u2019 hip Silverlake neighborhood, \u201cCann-Do Holiday\u201d is a collaboration between Cann\u2019s internal team, Bell and production house London Alley.<\/p>\n

The brand hosted a movie premiere-style party for the short film this week in Hollywood, along with a panel discussion on diversity (or the lack thereof) in the cannabis industry, featuring Cannaclusive\u2019s Mary Pryor, Jane Technologies\u2019 Socrates Rosenfeld<\/a>, Cann investor and board member-actor Rosario Dawson, Bell and Anderson.<\/p>\n

In casting the video, Bell talked about the importance of representation behind the scenes\u2014she hired a female director of photography, among other women and people of color\u2014as well as on-screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cFamily looks like a multitude of different things, and not everyone looks the same,\u201d Bell said during the session. \u201cI wanted the creative to be sexy and fun and inclusive from every single vantage point, so it felt like it wasn\u2019t elitist or isolating to anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCann-Do Holiday,\u201d with the tagline, \u201cYou can\u2019t change your family, but you cann change your drink,\u201d will get a boost from a MedMen<\/a> partnership, via outdoor ads and through Paper magazine\u2019s YouTube channel. The video will be distributed on social and digital platforms.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n