Illinois-based Cresco Labs has won a Healthcare Marketing Report National Healthcare Advertising Award – the first cannabis company to receive the honor. The company won the Silver Award for their education-based “State of Relief” campaign. Cresco said the goal of the poster campaign was “to try and normalize the cannabis industry for those seeking relief with an alternative form of medicine in Illinois.”
The winning design featured an open-faced peanut butter and jelly sandwich shaped like Illinois along with a caption that reads “Medical cannabis offers a new way for Illinois residents to seek relief from symptoms of over 35 conditions, like diminished appetite.” The poster was designed by Tom, Dick & Harry Creative Company.
“We wanted people to see medical cannabis as just another form of medicine in Illinois, without the traditional stereotypes that come with it. Our goal was to create an eye-catching campaign appealing to a mainstream audience that didn’t scream ‘marijuana’. We created the new messaging for the regulated cannabis industry – it’s professional, it’s regulated…it’s normal.” – Cresco Labs CEO Charlie Bachtell in a press release
Healthcare Marketing Report received over 4,000 entries for consideration. Its national panel of judges made their picks based on creativity, quality, message effectiveness, consumer appeal, graphic design and overall impact.