Advertising cannabis comes with a lot of restrictions. And most of the fun words are illegal.

During my internship at Hunt Adkins, I worked on the Doobie Dabbler event, developing a campaign that promoted a two-day cannabis festival without referencing weed, consumption, or overconsumption in any way. Instead of letting the restrictions dull the work, we used them as the strategy, speaking directly to local stoners through an iykyk approach that treated the audience like insiders.

Using redaction, like blackout poetry created from actual Minnesota cannabis legislation, and suggestive language, the Doobie Dabbler became an obvious “mystery” shrouded in neon green. Across billboards, digital out-of-home placements in bars and restrooms, radio, web, and paid social, I led copywriting that invited people in on the event before they ever arrived. With a $47,519.89 media spend, the campaign delivered 11.7 million impressions and supported year-over-year revenue growth for the festival.