{"id":23472,"date":"2022-12-14T18:51:36","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T18:51:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/14\/the-top-10-cannabis-marketing-moves-of-2022\/"},"modified":"2022-12-14T18:51:36","modified_gmt":"2022-12-14T18:51:36","slug":"the-top-10-cannabis-marketing-moves-of-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/14\/the-top-10-cannabis-marketing-moves-of-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"The Top 10 Cannabis Marketing Moves of 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Cannabis brand Ayr Wellness latched onto Mother\u2019s Day by using images that could\u2019ve been marketing spa packages or weekend getaways. But the language\u2014\u201cCanna mom escape? She\u2019ll THC-you later\u201d\u2014made clear the kind of self-care product<\/a> on sale.<\/p>\n

Popular social tonic Cann, meantime, continued to spar with Big Alcohol in a short film<\/a> for the holidays showing a boozy family dinner run amok. Its savior came in the form of weed-spiked soda and one of the best lines of ad dialogue in 2022: \u201cMerry microdosing, motherf*cker.\u201d<\/p>\n

While eye-catching and entertaining in their own right, these two pieces of cannabis marketing are also doing some heavy lifting. They aim to bust the lingering stigma of weed consumption, challenge stoner stereotypes and stake claims on major mainstream holidays, mirroring their CPG counterparts.<\/p>\n

And yet, the campaigns somehow didn\u2019t make it into the best-of 2022 list. How is that even possible? It was an embarrassment of riches, folks, which speaks to the state of creativity in a category besieged by rules and regs, shadow bans and arbitrary shutdowns.<\/p>\n

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This year, Adweek is presenting an expanded list\u201410 instead of the usual five\u2014covering our favorite activations, advertising, activism and collaborations. With apologies to those not included\u2014catch you next time, Cheeba Chews<\/a>\u2014we present the unranked winners here:<\/p>\n

\u2018Weed\u2019s Come a Long Way, Baby\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n

From mood board to billboard: a luxury brand dubbed \u201cthe Coco Channel of cannabis\u201d borrowed from one of the most famous women-centered commercial campaigns in history, and the result was a visual and contextual chef\u2019s kiss<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Flower by Edie Parker<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Flower by Edie Parker launched its largest marketing effort to date under the tagline, \u201cWeed\u2019s Come a Long Way, Baby,\u201d putting its own twist on iconic Virginia Slims imagery and tweaking the original ad language.<\/p>\n

Company founder Brett Heyman said she\u2019s always been inspired by the groundbreaking 1960s and \u201970s aesthetic of the groundbreaking Phillip Morris work. And she had been waiting for just the right time to bring the concept into the modern era. She decided to make that splash for April 20, the Black Friday of weed, just as the female demo has swelled to 55% of cannabis buyers, per Headset.<\/p>\n

\u2018Big Heads Listening Party\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A modern-day Beavis and Butt-Head episode. A friendly gathering with many bong hits and PBRs, set to a chillwave soundtrack. A trippy display of giant, perpetually-smiling papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 heads.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s not to love about a mashup of all these things?<\/p>\n

To promote his latest release, Grammy-nominated artist Toro y Moi partnered with audio company Sonos and weed brand Pax to bring his twisted vision to life. The result was a 41-minute ad<\/a> that has logged more than 645,000 views on YouTube alone with virtually no paid media push.<\/p>\n

This is not\u2014repeat not\u2014a typical music video, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s so memorable. With a Mystery Science Theater vibe, goofy expressionist dancing and psychedelic dream sequences, the listening party for Toro y Moi\u2019s Mahal record is a must-watch.<\/p>\n

BVG Hempticket<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A tiny cheat here: this was a stunt, not a straight-up ad, and it happened at the tail-end of 2021. Neither fact diminishes its awesomeness.<\/p>\n

To make the everyday chore of commuting less of a total buzzkill, Germany\u2019s public transportation system, BVG, dropped a product no one saw coming: first-of-their-kind hemp-infused coupons.<\/p>\n

These train tickets were dope\u2014literally.<\/p>\n

With the tagline, \u201cCome home, calm down<\/a>,\u201d BVG and agency Jung von Matt AG created the tickets out of edible paper, doused them with cannabis\u2019 legal cousin and sold them in the days leading up to Christmas 2021.<\/p>\n

The limited-edition product, which caused a social media frenzy and won a Grand Clio, advised consumers to \u201cchew up all the stress of the festive season\u201d while hitching a ride. The program snagged the equivalent of $13.3 million in media spending and 860 million impressions.<\/p>\n

Freedom Grams<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Advocates often repeat this number\u201440,000\u2014because it represents the people held in U.S. jails for minor, non-violent cannabis offenses. And in 2022, when legalization has swept across 37 states, it\u2019s a tragic piece of data.<\/p>\n

To put a human face on the issue, a coalition of activist brands and ad agency Serviceplan Germany launched a brand\u2014Freedom Grams<\/a>\u2014that sells legal cannabis in exactly the amounts that landed people behind bars.<\/p>\n

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Serviceplan Germany<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to flower that comes in 0.3 to 23.5 grams, with AR-enabled packaging that highlights eight U.S. prisoners and their personal stories, the program features a dedicated website, editorial content and merchandise.<\/p>\n

Freedom Grams, which sold out its initial run and donates its proceeds to the Last Prisoner Project, plans to expand from California into Washington and Colorado. Aside from gathering broad-based support, the program also racked up a bronze Lion at Cannes 2022 and a Grand Clio.<\/p>\n

All Things Must Grass<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Another cheat: this is a product line, but its retro-style low-fi branding aesthetic and intro video make it a true best-of contender.<\/p>\n

Nascent cannabis player Dad Grass scored a major coup by partnering with George Harrison\u2019s estate for a co-branded collection of pre-rolled hemp joints, smoking paraphernalia and merchandise.<\/p>\n

The products launched in April under the banner All Things Must Grass<\/a>, a purposely corny riff on Harrison\u2019s seminal 1970 album All Things Must Pass.<\/p>\n

The collection\u2014an example of both the popular\u00a0microdosing<\/a>\u00a0trend and the growing demand for\u00a0weed-related swag<\/a>\u2014marks the first time a member of The Beatles or their families have officially aligned with a cannabis company.<\/p>\n

It was also the first celebrity deal for Dad Grass, a brand born during the pandemic in 2020 as a distinct counterpoint to the\u00a0high-potency<\/a>\u00a0weed that has come to dominate the adult-use market. And it\u2019s not a one-and-done deal; expect to see more goods from this alliance.<\/p>\n

\u2018More Flowerful\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This campaign for Pax wasn\u2019t a spring fashion spread for Vogue, but it sure looked like one.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore Flowerful<\/a>,\u201d which coincided with Women\u2019s History Month, put some of the industry\u2019s unsung heroines into photogenic scenarios fit for the pages of Cosmopolitan.<\/p>\n

Pax intentionally chose to feature women who aren\u2019t often in the spotlight: \u201cthe budtenders, the brand builders, the artists, the educators, the innovators, the activists, the partakers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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From left to right: Tyler Rae Edwards and Stacey Edwards, Jen Seo, Makayla Olford, Michelle Mendoza, Ophelia Chong<\/span>Pax<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The art-driven project launched against a less-than-sunny backdrop: the number of women in corporate cannabis C-suites is below the national average and there are still scant female-owned businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen have been an important backbone of this industry since day one, helping to build it from the ground up,\u201d Lauryn Livengood, the campaign\u2019s architect, told Adweek, noting that the aim was to \u201cgive visibility to those living life out loud and shaping cannabis today, and to inspire more women to join the movement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Taste So Good\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Weed-laced soda Cann and partner Weedmaps took inspiration from various sources for their long-form content that kicked off Pride month. Among the touch points: an iconic Pepsi commercial with Britney Spears\u2014for the Super Bowlesque spectacle\u2014and vocal flourishes from Lady Marmalade.<\/p>\n

What they ended up with was a sexy glitter bomb called \u201cTaste So Good<\/a>\u201d that featured an original song, celebrity cameos and \u201cradical inclusivity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The short film, which took a swipe at the entrenched booze industry, starred a cast of diverse characters including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patricia Arquette, Kesha, Olympic skier-actor Gus Kenworthy, singer-songwriter Vincint and a bevy of RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race alums.<\/p>\n

It was the centerpiece of a five-state campaign for Cann, representing its most significant marketing to date. And the results\u2014all organic\u2014were stellar: 5 million views on YouTube and Instagram combined, 3 million audio streams and nearly 100,000 TikToks created.<\/p>\n

\u2018#SaveBrockOllie\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Weedmaps isn\u2019t the first cannabis company to try to buy a commercial during the Super Bowl, the most coveted appointment viewing on network TV. Multistate operator Acreage Holdings attempted to do so back in 2019.<\/p>\n

Both had the same results: Hard no.<\/p>\n

Instead of airing during the Big Game, the Weedmaps 2022 spot got digital and social distribution, along with significant earned media for its exasperated fictional character named Brock Ollie<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The walking, talking veggie\u2014the broccoli emoji come to life\u2014showed how fed up he was with the innuendo that followed him around. Co-workers, neighbors and strangers bombarded him daily with clumsy references to getting high when, as most of the country has legalized cannabis, it should be an open conversation with no coded language necessary.<\/p>\n

Weedmaps used the short film to make a statement about censorship in cannabis marketing, and because of its deadpan humor, got the message across in a way that entertained and didn\u2019t preach.<\/p>\n

\u201937 Seconds\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Gary Chambers Jr. didn\u2019t win his bid to become a U.S. Senator, but the Louisiana activist and cannafan still made history by becoming the first major-party candidate to smoke a blunt in a political ad<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Chambers ended up with about 18% of the vote in November, losing to the Republican incumbent and Trump ally John Kennedy. But his \u201c37 Seconds\u201d campaign kickoff video made an impression far beyond his home state.<\/p>\n

Gary Chambers Jr. campaign<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Its goal, along with destigmatizing the plant, was to highlight the disproportionate impact that prohibition has had\u2014and continues to have\u2014on minority communities. (Someone in America, most often a person of color, is arrested every 37 seconds for possession of cannabis.)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew it was a bold position to take,\u201d Chambers told Adweek in January, just after the ad started catching fire on social media. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want this to come off as a gimmick, and that\u2019s why we approached this project with a tone and message that would resonate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeeter Marts<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Jeeter, known for its streetwear-style product drops and epic live events, kicked off a 100-stop pop-up tour<\/a> in July, building mini convenience stores at dispensaries in California, Arizona and Michigan.<\/p>\n

The design? Classic mid-century with an old-school, feel-good vibe. And the flourishes? Pure retro-fabulous.<\/p>\n

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Jeeter Mart<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to mini mart staples like scratch-off lottery tickets and salty snacks, the store-within-a-store concept featured an exclusive Pi\u00f1a Colada flower strain, limited-edition merchandise and capsule collection apparel, all stoking the FOMO of the young target demo.<\/p>\n

Jeeter\u2019s founders drew from their roots as concert promoters in the EDM space for their most ambitious marketing to date. And their three-month sweep cleverly coincided with a summer of amped-up experiential activations<\/a> at weed retailers nationwide.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n