A new ad campaign from DeVito Verdi for Boston’s Legal Sea Foods celebrates the legalization of marijuana in the Bay State.
The TV and print ads play off the restaurant’s baked, fried and smoked menu items. “Baked” and “smoked” makes sense. “Fried” is something that happens when you drink too much, work too much, and so on.
The “Welcome to Legal” effort also includes dispensing free clam chowder from Legal Sea Food’s popular Chowda’ Van outside Boston marijuana dispensaries and offering “Toke-Out Menus” to those exiting the stores.
Many brands are tripping over themselves today to introduce cannabis-inspired candy, beverages, creams, and even burgers. Although Legal Sea Foods will not be adding any type of new herb to its seafood, it is capitalizing on the legal connection and the idea that stoners often get hungry.
I enjoy the playfulness in this campaign and the trippy designs. I like the concept too, and the boldness in the brand.
The challenge for this campaign, as with almost all cannabis advertising or cannabis-related advertising, is to be smart about it. Millions of people from every walk of life get high. When we begin to freely admit this, the quality of the ads will improve. Marijuana is mainstream, and this opens the door to new and improved advertising.
PREVIOUSLY ON ADPULP.COM: Unchosen Fish Sing The Blues and Legal Sea Foods Converts The Masses To Pescatarianism
