2025 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

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 its stores?

Bookstores, nail salons, etc, actually have a lot more in common with cannabis retailers than you would first think, in what they offer customers.

When you can’t advertise your store, advertise your neighbours.

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.

The agency 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.

After launch (when media concluded), the agency 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.

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 the campaign garnered a 26% increase in-store customers, 29% increase in new online customers, and a
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.

Credits

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: Brent Choi
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER: Erin Kawalecki
CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER: Graham Candy
VP, CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Bernice Lo
VP, CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Adam Notzl-Keyser
ACD/ART DIRECTOR: Chenice Piercy
ACD/COPYWRITER: Ryan Chiasson
ART DIRECTOR: Emily Fixman
GROUP ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Mark Khatter
VP, HEAD OF PRODUCTION: Hanna Bratt
PRODUCER: Dennis Soler
MEDIA DIRECTOR: Shubham Vijan
Owner (Stok’d): Lisa Bigioni
Head of Retail (Stok’d): Franceso Caruso
DIRECTOR (Nimble Content): Erica Orofino
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER (Nimble Content): Andrew Lynch
PRODUCER (Nimble Content): Andy McLeod
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY (Nimble Content): Viktor Cahoj
CASTING DIRECTOR (JIGSAW CASTING): Shasta Lutz
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER (RECESS POST): Tanja Harney
PRODUCER (RECESS POST): Anu Chhetry
POST-PRODUCTION ASSISTANT (RECESS POST): Ben Sagar
OFFLINE EDITOR (RECESS POST): Duane VanderMeulen
COLOURIST (RECESS POST): Zachary Cox
AUDIO (RECESS POST): Quinn Hoodless
OFFLINE EDITOR (MARRIED TO GIANTS): Jacqueline Leon
ASSISTANT EDITOR (MARRIED TO GIANTS): Miku Sakamoto
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER (MARRIED TO GIANTS): Amanda Henry
PRESIDENT, STRYKER MEDIA GROUP: Jennifer Yang
Account Manage (Stryker): Mike Austin