You Can See This Super Bowl Cannabis Ad on YouTube
Weedmaps may not have convinced NBC to run their US$6.5 million Super Bowl cannabis ad, but the free coverage they’re getting now is priceless. The cannabis store locator created an 84-second spot to run before Super Bowl LVI, since its 30-second spot won’t run during the game.
NBC banned the spot from running during the Super Bowl – or any other time. NBC told Adweek that the network does not accept any advertisements “for cannabis or cannabis-related businesses”. That includes any of their programming and all their platforms.
Equally predictably, Weedmaps is calling foul.
“Despite three quarters of (US states) having legalized cannabis and the bipartisan enthusiasm we continue to see in support for change at the federal level, the industry continues to face roadblocks that inhibit competition in the legal market and stifle opportunities to educate,” said Chris Beals, CEO of Weedmaps.
The Weedmaps “protest commercial” features Brock Ollie, a broccoli who is frustrated for being confused with cannabis. (A broccoli emoji is sometimes used to represent cannabis in texts.) The ad follows him through a day in his life. Although as a Super Bowl cananbis ad, it’s not particularly groundbreaking, the message is.
“There’s an irony in the fact that the biggest night for advertising will feature an array of consumer brands in regulated industries, from beverage alcohol to sports betting, yet legal cannabis retailers, brands and businesses have been boxed out,” Beals said.
There is even more irony in the fact that the NFL announced it is investing $1 million in cannabis trials on February 1.The study will investigate the use of cannabis as a pain reliever.
Other Super Bowl Cannabis Ads Are Also Skirting the Game – LPC
Weedmaps isn’t the first to have its Super Bowl cannabis ad rejected. In 2019, Acreage Holdings – owned in part by Canopy Growth – had its general awareness ad for medical cannabis pulled. This year, Lay’s seems to be skirting NBC rules with what can only be a wink and a nod to the cannabis community. Its potato chip teaser ad features a shrine to Seth Rogen, who is immediately connected to cannabis use due to his movies and his Houseplant cannabis company.
Super Bowl commercials still go for a high price, even though these days the ads are available on YouTube, often before the game itself. The Weedmaps ad shows that they can skirt the game altogether. Whether it will get the same number of eyeballs as if it ran during the Super Bowl remains to be seen. But the free advertising they’re getting for a Super Bowl cannabis ad that never was is amazing.
Of course, all this is an empty argument in Canada. Even though cannabis is legal federally, you’ll never see a cannabis ad on TV – at least under the current regulations. Our strict cannabis marketing laws heavily restrict cannabis ads – some might say too heavily.
In fact, it seems inevitable that you’ll see a Super Bowl cannabis ad on NBC long before you see it on CBC.
Read some of the story on Benzinga here.
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