American rapper and business mogul Jay-Z recently announced the launch of his own cannabis brand, Monogram, in collaboration with Caliva.
Jay-Z and Caliva Cannabis
Jay-Z joined Caliva Cannabis, a California-based cannabis brand, and retailer, as Chief Brand Strategist back in July of last year. Former NFL quarterback Joe Montana is also a prominent investor in the company, which touts itself as the market leader of branded cannabis products in California. Caliva also operates a chain of cannabis retail stores throughout the state with their flagship location-based in San Jose.
The Launch of Monogram
Last Friday, Monogram’s new website and social media channels went public. Monogram claims to be ushering in “a new chapter in cannabis” by “refining standards” and “redefining growth”.
On October 23rd (last Friday), the brand began posting on both Twitter and Instagram with a cryptic message containing numbers (70. 88. 96. 01. 03.) and the MG Monogram logo. Later in the day, several images containing cannabis were posted with some of the brand’s pillars as captions (‘Hand Finished’, ‘Bringing Dignity To Cannabis’ and ‘With Care’).
Additionally, Caliva posted the official press release and promotional video on their social media channels, garnering a lot of attention and excitement.
The brand’s ethos is a dedication to offering cannabis with dignity, care, and consistency. Monogram represents a “collective effort to bring you the best, and a humble pursuit to discover what the best truly means”. Although the brand itself has been elaborated, there hasn’t been any official announcements about product formats or strains.
Monogram: Sounds From The Grow Room TIDAL Playlist
Along with the digital brand launch, Jay-Z curated a new TIDAL playlist titled Monogram: Sounds from the Grow Room, which features a variety of 420 friendly artists such as Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Outkast, Rihanna, and more. This playlist can be listened to while browsing the Monogram website.
Here, Cannabis Is Legal Campaign
As part of the brand’s launch, a campaign was initiated to prove a point about the continued prohibition of cannabis in parts of the United States. Monogram commissioned a branded truck to sit at the border of Illinois and Wisconsin with two different messages on each side. One ad read “Here, Cannabis Is Legal. Enjoy Responsibly.” and the other read “Here Cannabis Is Illegal. Avoid The Bookings.”
These photos were posted with a caption referencing The Controlled Substances Act with the tagline “Fifty years later, a state line can still make a world of difference.” It appears that Monogram is making a statement that the plant should be legalized across the country while also cleverly informing passerbys of the regulations in each jurisdiction.
American Celebrity Cannabis Brands
Celebrity cannabis brands are quite common and popular in legalized states. Unlike Canada, American cannabis brands are allowed to use the likeness of celebrities to promote their brands.
Hov isn’t the only celebrity to launch a cannabis brand lately. The same week that Jay-Z went public with Monogram, an announcement was made about a new cannabis brand that will carry the namesake of former Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia. His daughter, Trixie Garcia, reported that Garcia Hand Picked will be available soon and will be grown in collaboration with Holistic Industries, a vertically-integrated MSO based in Washington, D.C.
Earlier this month, famed actress Kristen Bell teamed up with Lord Jones via Cronos Group (a Canada-based Licensed Producer of cannabis) to launch a new CBD skincare brand known as “Happy Dance”. These products will be produced and available in California.
Celebrities launching their own cannabis brands is now a trend and not just a fad. Although many cannabis celebrity brands have failed in Canada, their American counterparts appear to be thriving. Cannabis and CBD companies operating in the USA have less marketing and promotion restrictions and can take full advantage of all the perks associated with having a celebrity tied to your brand.
Stay tuned to ADCANN to learn all about new celebrity cannabis brand launches, endorsements, and collaborations.
Last Updated on October 28, 2020 by ADCANN
