How often does a cannabis brand have the chance to embed itself into a TV show? Hardly ever. So it was noteworthy when Weedmaps scored a verbal shout and product integration into Season 2 of Tubi’s animated series The Freak Brothers, becoming the hero that keeps the party going for the hilariously stoned stars. The alliance also included a Weedmaps sponsorship of Smoke & Screen premiere events at consumption-friendly venues in eight U.S. states. This program wasn’t a traditional piece of marketing, making it all the more valuable for targeting two key demos: ad-averse cannanative Gen Z and the OG counterculture fans of the classic Furry Freak Brothers comic that inspired the show.
8) Last Prisoner Project | ‘The Pen to Right History‘ by McCann New York
An estimated 40,000 Americans—mostly people of color—are behind bars for nonviolent cannabis offenses, and pleas for clemency usually focus on the arrest and sentencing of those in jail. This PSA from nonprofit group Last Prisoner Project and agency partner McCann took an intentionally different approach. It centered the documentary-style hero video on a young woman, Richeda Ashmeade, and the hardships she faced by growing up with a father in lockup. The short film urges President Joe Biden and governors around the country to free cannabis inmates at a time when the fast-growing legal industry is expected to reach $33.6 billion in sales by year’s end. The simple yet emotional message “forces the realization that everyone close to the person incarcerated is a victim as well,” per the creatives.
7) MariMed | ‘Boston THC Party’
