I’ve been an unpaid,
unofficial brand
ambassador for weed
in general since 2005 😏🍃💨.
So when I got the chance to create a legal cannabis brand from the ground up in 2015, I. Was. STOKED. And then when I got my dream job with a (briefly) independent Chicago weed company in 2019, I. Was. Freakin’ ECSTATIC, okay?
My Role
Director of Content + Creative at Grassroots | Dispensaries: Herbology + Windy City | Maye CBD
My tenure at Grassroots started out with an unexpected bang💥
Our goal for everything we made, whether that be social content, sales sheets, print ads or OOH: Make it Editorial, Stealworthy, Shareable. Ideally all 3.
I was also charged with expanding the existing consumer-base. So for certain launches, instead of talking strains or genetics, we went full tech + beauty.
What we made
Brand Identities | OOH | Packaging | Social | Interior + Exterior Signage | Dotcom | Experiential | Sales Materials | SCHWAG!| Marketing + Quarterly Programs + Concepts
We
Justine Boney: Director of Marketing | Jason Castillo: Senior Art Director | Jillian Solarczyk : ACD | Matt Frierdich: ACD | Nusaibah El-Omari: Designer | Raheem Uqdah: Digital Marketing Manager | Shelley Saffrin - Content + Compliance Manager | Freelance Angels + Motherfreakin’ Pros: Troy Burrows, Stuart Confer, Will Benham, Seth McWhorter.
Yes, we created a game in the bears-themed edible packaging 🧡
EDIBLE SAFELY - Second screen educational content timed to the Bears game.
RSO Caps - Day + Night.
What I made
Budgets and estimates | Process Flows | Sell In + Vision Decks | Brand Books + Guidelines | So Many Org Charts | BRIEFS, all caps | Editorial and Marketing Calendars | Hiring Reqs
What I did
⚖️ Established briefing + legal review systems
📅 Created and championed quarterly marketing calendars
🌐 Moved us from a swag-first mindset to an integrated campaign machine
🥊 Fought for resources + hires + equipment
🛫 Traveled non-stop, whew!
🤹🏽 Put on my producer hat a lot
🐛 Adjusted to my first in-house, non-agency gig
🐶 Was reminded that time at startups should be counted in dog years
🖊️ Also CD’d of course — pushing for better craft + creative
Illustrations that communicated strain benefits + flavors — a flexible asset we used from sales to super dope posters.
People legit relied on us for info on the state-by-state legislation sweeping the nation. So we started a content series dedicated to communicating the latest, especially in medical markets.
Behind the scenes of packaging + a 360 program.
Grower favorite strains and their stories. Our plan was to put the focus where it belonged: The people, the craft, the plant.
Before Illinois opened the state for recreational, Windy City Dispensary needed an update. One that paid homage to the iconic symbols of the city 🌃.
First, a before 👆
Now, the after 👇
Many in the org had become attached to the original look and feel. But we moved the brand forward, and into the realm of lifestyle, legal marketing and retail meets healthcare.
Like a bat signal, but for weed.
Want to hear more about Greenhouse, Herbology or Maye?
Say hey! I also led branding workshops to create the cannabis brand now known as Dosist — a once-in-a-lifetime project worth talking about.
Need a palate cleanser instead?
Check out 🍺 Miller High Life or 🍇 Wellory.