Brands love a good holiday, but some special occasions are still more, well, mainstream than others. For companies to acknowledge 4/20 — alternately known as “National Munchies Day” and “National Pot Enthusiast Day” — while remaining on brand requires a delicate balancing act. It works for Ben & Jerry’s. Less so for, say, Nike. Here, then, are a couple examples of brands ablaze today:
Ben & Jerry’s
The Vermont-based ice-cream company has a history of making stoner-friendly jokes. When Colorado legalized recreational marijuana last year, the company sent out this sly tweet.
BREAKING NEWS: We’re hearing reports of stores selling out of Ben & Jerry’s in Colorado. What’s up with that? pic.twitter.com/zBs8nyxZWn
— Ben & Jerry’s (@benandjerrys) January 2, 2014
This year, the company went all out, introducing a new product, the “Brr-ito,” an ice-cream burrito that is designed to cure just about anyone’s munchies. You can even make a “half-baked” version. The brand released this spot, a spoof of Apple’s “1984” ad, to announce the product. Denny’s Considering how clever the Denny’s account can be on a daily basis, this is a pretty sub-par attempt. Punny? Yes. Funny? Not unless you’re smoking something.
fork twenty, scramble eggs everyday — Denny’s (@DennysDiner) April 20, 2015
Applebee’s
The restaurant chain’s Twitter account is apparently spending the day listening to its own Pandora station, featuring both established and budding artists.
♫ High & Dry by @donotsofficial @pandora_radio https://t.co/uuUfPsKVCI #NowPlaying ♫
— Applebee’s (@Applebees) April 20, 2015
Refinery29
Props to the publisher for a fun, non-pushy tweet that references one of Anna Faris’ best movies ever. But bonus points for the follow-up tweet that denied emphatically any reference to today’s date.
This just means that I’m looking for @annakfaris today, because I love her and would love to run into her. This isn’t a 4/20 Tweet.
— refinery29 (@Refinery29) April 20, 2015
Willie Nelson
Speaking on music, no brand is quite as synonymous with weed as Willie Nelson’s. To celebrate 4/20, Nelson released a new single: a duet with Merle Haggard called “It’s All Going to Pot.” He also created a weed-themed Spotify playlist including the new song, Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,” Cab Calloway’s “Reefer Man” and Peter Tosh’s “Legalize It.”
More in Marketing
What does the Omnicom-IPG deal mean for marketing pitches and reviews?
Pitch consultants predict how the potential holdco acquisition could impact media and creative reviews heading into the new year.
AdTechChat organizers manage grievances amid fallout of controversial Xmas party
Community organizers voice regret over divisive entertainment act at London-hosted industry party, which tops a list of grievances.
X tries to win back advertisers with self-reported video stats
Is X’s big bet on video real growth or just a number’s game?