Netflix’s blockbuster hit Stranger Things has been a brandstravaganza since its launch, embedding iconic breakfast foods, salty snacks, ’80s technology and throwback retailers and fast food chains into its supernatural storylines. Cannabis has not been part of that product placement parade–until now. Purple Palm Tree Delight, a weed strain credited with calming a few key…
It may not be included in the next remix of the classic ad jingle “baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet,” but cannabis is increasingly cementing its place in American culture–most recently on the biggest flag-waving holiday of the year. Cannafans spent a record-setting $255.5 million on flower, vapes, THC-infused drinks and other products during…
As an athlete and activist, Briana King (she/they) has launched meetups in cities across America and internationally for “girls, gays and theys” to skateboard in safe and supportive environments. Along the way, the model-actor–who starred in the coming-of-age drama Skate Kitchen–has collaborated with heavyweight brands such as Apple, Nike and Squarespace, while Vogue has called…
On this week’s episode, international editor David Griner is joined by agencies writer Emmy Liederman and senior editor T.L. Stanley to discuss Liederman’s recent coverage of how companies are under pressure to figure out how to craft more inclusive environments for non-drinkers, the rise of alcohol-free cocktails and where cannabis beverages fit into the mix….
Independence Day may not have carved itself into cannabis lore like April 20 or Danksgiving, but the summer holiday has started to generate its own heat for the industry’s bottom line. Cannaseurs–lured by a flurry of retail discounts and brand promotions–are expected to buy enough flower, vapes, tinctures and tonics to make the upcoming July…
In the fast-growing world of THC-spiked beverages, there’s a whole menu of choices like iced tea, lemonade, coffee, cocoa, mocktails, booze-free wine and mimosas, energy drinks and sparkling waters. Products come in bottles and cans–Cann, by the way, is a best-selling “social tonic” with a pioneering Pride campaign and a Hollywood following–and via drops, mixes,…
A group of five friends sit around drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon, smoking weed and listening to a new record from their favorite “chillwave” musician, Toro y Moi. They bust out some expressionist dance moves and play air guitar–while getting increasingly stoned–and make pithy comments worthy of a classic Beavis and Butt-Head episode. We’ve all been…
It would be a tall order on its own to try to recreate the spectacle of an iconic Pepsi commercial with Britney Spears. Not to mention borrow vocal flourishes from Lady Marmalade, pack in celebrity cameos and produce a banger original song and choreographed music video. But there’s that and more going on in a…
It would be a tall order on its own to try to recreate the spectacle of an iconic Pepsi commercial with Britney Spears. Not to mention borrow vocal flourishes from Lady Marmalade, pack in celebrity cameos and produce a banger original song and choreographed music video. But there’s that and more going on in a…
In the picturesque, Colorado foothill town of Nederland, a festival called Frozen Dead Guy Days recently drew more than 20,000 people for polar plunges, ice turkey bowling, frozen salmon tosses and coffin races. Though it may sound a little twisted, it’s been ranked as one of the world’s 10 best parties of winter, alongside Mardi…
Do you use words like “debonair” and “gar?on,” while picturing yourself on a private jet and considering, maybe someday, going to a museum? You so fancy! For a campaign that’s heavy on parody and even heavier on a fake French accent, legacy cannabis edibles brand Cheeba Chews launches its new line of P?te De Fruit…
The names CeeLo Green, Shooter McGavin, Kate Flannery and Carson Kressley don’t immediately come to mind as movers and shakers in the cannabis industry, with good reason. But the celebrities, via a customized program with video platform Cameo, are directly responsible for driving nearly $2 million in revenue and 40,000 dispensary visits for weed powerhouse…
In a moment of blissful self-care, a woman in a fluffy white bathrobe reclines on a comfy chair and takes some deep breaths. Cucumber slices are strategically placed over her eyes for added refreshment and destressing. While this may be a familiar marketing image for day spas and travel packages, this campaign comes from cannabis…
Whether it was the appeal of deep discounts, the return of live festivals or the flood of savvy marketing–or some combination of those factors–April 20 has written a new page in the cannabis history books, with $154.4 million in legal sales on the Black Friday of weed. Though it fell on a Wednesday, typically a…
When you crack open a frosty can of Elysian Brewing’s new Dank Dust IPA, its initial, prevailing aroma signals only one thing: a stash of potent, rather loud weed. While there isn’t a hint of THC to be found in the brand’s pine-forward India Pale Ale, the scent is convincing enough to inspire some excitement…
From a legalization standpoint, the cannabis industry is undergoing a sea change, as state after state moves forward with legalization and decriminalization efforts. Seemingly every day, new cannabis players emerge on the scene, all vying for their plot of land in the so-called “green rush.” But here’s the thing: Nearly every cannabis company today is…
The biggest day on the cannabis calendar is upon us. The swift approach of April 20 meant, for product marketers and social media teams across CPG brands, what’s now “4/20 season” has been in full swing for at least a month. Brands large, small and entirely cannabis-unrelated are cooking up ways to associate themselves with…
Ben & Jerry’s blends two of its core personality traits–its dedication to activism and its love of word puns–into an April 20-pegged campaign that advocates for criminal justice reform and federal cannabis legalization. Using the tagline, “Our cannabis laws are half baked,” the beloved brand has partnered with the ACLU to give Americans a simple…
Cannabis-loving revelers haven’t traditionally been known for their restraint on April 20. So could it follow that marketers have taken a similar no-holds-barred approach to the revered weed holiday, perhaps overstating its importance on the cannabis calendar as the Super Bowl, July Fourth, New Year’s Eve and Black Friday of ganja all rolled into one?…
To mark April 20, the dankest day on the cannabis calendar for fans and retailers, Wana Brands plans to donate $140,000 to nonprofit groups combating hunger in local communities across America. With its #4ward20 program, the Colorado-based edibles maker is encouraging consumers to join the fight against food insecurity by giving to Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen…
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