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Entrant: Angry Butterfly, Toronto
Brand: Stok'd
Title: "Next to Stok'd"
Corporate Name of Client: Stok'd
Client Company: Stok'd, Toronto
Client President: Lisa Bigioni
Client: Franceso Caruso
Media Companies: Angry Butterfly, Toronto/Stryker, Toronto
President - Stryker: Jennifer Yang
Media Strategy Director - Angry Butterfly: Shubham Vijan
Media Planner - Stryker: Mike Austin
Agency: Angry Butterfly, Toronto
Agency Chief Executive Officer: Brent Choi
Chief Creative Officer: Erin Kawalecki
Executive Creative Directors: Bernice Lo/Adam Notzl-Keyser
Associate Creative Directors: Chenice Piercy/Ryan Chiasson
Copywriter: Ryan Chiasson
Art Directors: Chenice Piercy/Emily Fixman
Agency Head of Production: Hanna Bratt
Agency Producer: Dennis Soler
Agency Chief Strategy Officer: Graham Candy
Agency Group Account Director: Mark Khatter
Production Company: Nimble Content, Toronto
Director: Erica Orofino
Executive Producer: Andrew Lynch
Line Producer: Andy McLeod
Director of Photography: Viktor Cahoj
Post-Production Company: Recess Post, Toronto
Executive Post-Producer - Recess Post: Tanja Harney
Executive Post-Producer - Married To Giants: Amanda Henry
Post-Producer: Anu Chhetry
Edit Facility: Recess Post/Married to Giants, Toronto
Editor - Recess Post: Duane VanderMeulen
Editor - Married to Giants: Jacqueline Leon
Assistant Editor - Recess: Ben Sagar
Assistant Editor - Married to Giants: Miku Sakamoto
Color Company: Recess Post
Colorist: Zachary Cox
Music Production Companies: Recess Post, Toronto/Pirate Sound, Toronto
Music Supervisor - Recess Post: Quinn Hoodless
Casting Company: Jigsaw Casting
Casting Agent: Shasta Lutz

Description:
Cannabis sales are legal in Canada. Cannabis advertising? Not so much. In fact, the entire industry is highly regulated. Furthermore, social platforms (such as Meta and Google) and other media channels (OOH/radio) have sophisticated filters in place to screen out any advertising that promotes cannabis.

So how does a regional cannabis chain promote their stores?

One-line Key Insight/Creative Launchpad: Bookstores, nail salons, etc actually have a lot more in common with cannabis retailers than you would first think, in what they offer customers.

One-line Idea: When you can’t advertise your store, advertise your neighbours.

The plan: Create a geo-targeted (within 5km), adult-gated, multimedia campaign using neighbouring stores to promote BOTH their own store and Stok’d. By using shared language and benefits while also promoting the proximity to each other, Stok’d could find an unconventional way to tell prospective customers about their location, products and experience.

By partnering and collaborating with neighbouring stores, Stok’d would theoretically be able to skirt the media company’s sophisticated filters that block cannabis advertising. The ads all would finish with a CTA to visit the neighbouring business, which of course, is located right ‘Next to Stok’d’. This strategy would help the local businesses as well, since more traffic to their area helped everyone.

Execution Phase 1 - Paid campaign We produced and promoted to adults: 3 (age-gated) online videos, 3 (evening) transit shelters, a number of social posts and a late night radio spot. Ads included videos for a bookstore, nail salon, and an electrician, while OOH, radio and social posts added a sub shop, roti house and others. It was important to represent the neighbouring business authentically, as this was also promoting their stores and brand.

Phrase 2 - PR After launch (when media concluded), we in effect, relaunched using PR which allowed many cannabis fans/supporters, publications etc on their social media channels, blogs, podcasts etc, to share the campaign again across every social platform. This is where earned traditional media and social media really launched the Stok'd brand and campaign to another stratosphere.

Results: The plan worked perfectly! The campaign made it past the filters of every social platform, OOH, and radio and ran successfully. All without technically breaking any laws, as the ads were officially promoting the neighbouring stores.

Compared to the same period last year: 26% increase in-store customers 29% increase in new online customers 12% increase in revenue

The smaller revenue increase compared to the first two results is a strong indication that new customers were trying out Stok’d.

“We loved the playful and entrepreneurial approach as it’s a perfect brand fit for us. Our neighbouring businesses loved the idea too. After all, more traffic to our stores is good for everyone.” Lisa Bigioni, co-founder of Stok'd.

Here are a few from top cannabis publications: "The most creative marketing I've ever seen" - Cannabis Marketing "Masterstroke Campaign" - Aggressive Organics "Brilliant" - One World Cannabis "Genius workaround" - Hobby Grower "Unmatched ingenuity" - Joint Craft "Revolutionizing Cannabis Marketing" - Business News Network