“We wanted people to see medical cannabis as just another form of medicine in Illinois, without the traditional stereotypes that come with it,” said Cresco Labs CEO Charlie Bachtell. “Our goal was to create an eye-catching campaign appealing to a mainstream audience that didn’t scream ‘marijuana’ We created the new messaging for the regulated cannabis industry–it’s professional, it’s regulated, …it’s normal.”
Cresco’s “Sandwich” poster, designed by Tom, Dick & Harry Creative Company, pictured a white plate with an open-faced, Illinois-shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The copy read, “Welcome to a State of Relief. Medical cannabis offers a new way for Illinois residents to seek relief from symptoms of over 35 conditions, like diminished appetite.”
The state of relief awareness campaign consisted of several pieces of creative that were used as posters, flyers, print advertisements and digital marketing elements to educate residents about Illinois medical cannabis program. In addition to the Silver Award, several other creative pieces of this campaign received merit awards in this competition.
In the 35-year history of the Healthcare Advertising Awards, the organization has never awarded a business in the medical cannabis industry. Healthcare Marketing Report had a national panel of judges who reviewed all entries based on creativity, quality, message effectiveness, consumer appeal, graphic design and overall impact. This year over 4,000 entries were received, making the awards one of the ten largest national advertising award competitions.
“It’s always an honor when our work is recognized by our peers. But it’s especially satisfying to produce award-winning communications for a brand that’s doing great things–in an industry that’s doing good,” said Greg Reifel, Managing Partner, Tom, Dick & Harry Creative Co.
Cresco Labs is one of the five largest medical cannabis operators in the country with state-of-the-art operations in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada. One of their core values is to educate patients about the use of cannabis for their medical condition and normalize the acceptance of it as a form of medicine.
Photo courtesy of Cresco Labs
