Save 50% on a 3-month Digiday+ membership. Ends Dec 5.
Yesterday was, of course, the moveable feast that is Easter Sunday; but for a certain demographic it was a completely different high holiday: 4/20, a day for celebrating recreational marijuana use.
Marijuana lovers around the world spent Easter (or rather Weedster) stoned out of their gourds. Not a huge surprise. What was interesting, though, is that some brands were brave enough to play along. Most brands would be too timid to go anywhere near such a hot-button topic — Taco Bell playfully side-stepped the topic during its reddit AMA last month. But here are some brands that were brave enough to support cannabis culture:
Ben & Jerry’s
Give 100% today. pic.twitter.com/6jnCzuqPII
— Ben & Jerry’s (@benandjerrys) April 20, 2014
Ben & Jerry’s encouraged potheads to get “100%” baked — and we wouldn’t expect anything less from the brand.
Beats by Dre
Happy 420 from yours truly! Introducing #BEATSxHUF pic.twitter.com/BES2XDnUQF — Beats By Dre (@beatsbydre) April 20, 2014
Beats by Dre had fun with photoshop, giving the Beats Pills 4/20-appropriate tie-dye shirts — and if you look closely you can see that they have bloodshot eyes.
Ad position: web_incontent_pos1
Urban Outfitters
Today’s tunes. https://t.co/pv8U1ir8Vw pic.twitter.com/3bMdtl4LhV
— Urban Outfitters (@UrbanOutfitters) April 20, 2014
The clothing store and lifestyle brand gave a nod to the ganja king and 4/20 patron saint.
Juice Generation
Happy hemp day everyone! Hemp seeds are a great protein source, so treat yourself to a delicious #hemp brownie. #420 pic.twitter.com/w1mpkL3y5J
— Juice Generation (@JuiceGeneration) April 21, 2014
Ad position: web_incontent_pos2
For that cross-section of juice cleanse enthusiasts and pot lovers, the juice store chain shared a special brownie recipe.
House of Cards
We’ve never been quitters. #420 pic.twitter.com/CMwL70KsK0
— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) April 20, 2014
Leave it to Netflix’s House of Cards to be precise with its 420 message, which it posted at exactly 4:20 on 4/20.
More in Marketing
Ulta, Best Buy and Adidas dominate AI holiday shopping mentions
The brands that are seeing the biggest boost from this shift in consumer behavior are some of the biggest retailers.
U.K. retailer Boots leads brand efforts to invest in ad creative’s data layer
For media dollars to make an impact, brands need ad creative that actually hits. More CMOs are investing in pre- and post-flight measurement.
‘AI is permeating everything we do’: How Guitar Center developed 2 AI tools this year
This summer, the company launched a chatbot called Rig Advisor to help customers find the right instruments and products.
Ad position: web_bfu