Cannabis and creativity take a step down the aisle together in this new commercial directed by Spike Jonze and narrated by actor and activist Jesse Williams titled “The New Normal” which follows a chronological version of a mannequin challenge through a brief American history visual and its relationship with cannabis and the affect it’s had on the community who consume the plant.
We’re seeing a shift in media where brands such as Lowell Farms and others are producing quality commercials and doing their best to be placed with networks such as ABC on the night of the Oscars are being rejected due to network standards – it’s these steps that are are needed to further change the perception and direction of who uses the plant and why.
While mainstream TV networks are hesitant to take the step to embracing the cannabis community, there are movements happening – the new commercial will appear on the online streaming versions of Bravo, CBS Sports Network, Oxygen, MSNBC, Lifetime, and Food Network, and the campaign includes national print ads in GQ, Us Weekly, and Rolling Stone as well as audio versions on Howard Stern’s Sirius XM show and podcasts like The Adam Carolla Show and Jonze is also working on a short documentary about individual characters in the spot.
Although faced with several lawsuits, MedMen is one of the well-known brands across the nation pushing for normalization and legalization of cannabis. Will the brand take steps to stand for social justice as their video highlights and fight for equality for all races and genders who enjoy cannabis and be one of the staple brands paving the way in the American market? Only time can tell.
