My Magazine: Watch This: The World’s First Cannabis Commercial is Pretty Much a Portlandia Episode

Wednesday 27 July 2016

Watch This: The World’s First Cannabis Commercial is Pretty Much a Portlandia Episode

Things you wouldn’t expect the world’s first cannabis product commercial to contain: an original soundtrack, an adorable keeshond pup, a woman attempting to clean the patio with paper towels, subtle kung fu-inspired sound effects, the phrase “fuck yes,” and a man taking his pants off.

Mirth Provisions says the minute-and-a-half commercial for its cannabis-infused Legal sodas is the first of its kind worldwide, and so far no one’s disputed that claim. In it, you’ll find 32 reveling Portlanders, nine instances of hipster facial hair (this is subjective), eight pairs of hipster glasses, six readily apparent tattoos, five floral print button-ups, four close-up guitar shots, three backwards hats, two Mason jars, and one set of gauges, all at one rollicking Portland backyard barbecue. Hence why this feels like a Portlandia sketch (complete with a dig at high-fructose corn syrup). It’s filmed in the Rose City, set to an original indie jam, and directed by Portland-based, fabulously coifed indie musician and filmmaker James Westby (who’s also the frontman onstage).

The World's First Cannabis Commercial by Mirth Provisions (Stills)

Fun facts:

You’ll only catch the commercial on YouTube if you’re 21+ and living in Washington or Oregon.
Officially launched on Monday, the video has already garnered coverage as far afield as Germany and France.
Since no cannabis marketing guidelines have been developed yet for these sorts of spots, the team chose to abide by alcohol marketing guidelines.
The backyard barbecue wasn’t staged; it actually happened at the home of an employee at Sockeye, the marketing firm that worked with Legal to create the video.
The charismatic canine star also belongs to a Sockeye employee.
You’ll catch glimpses of recognizable PDXers-about-town (like the owner of Mississippi Studios drumming onstage), and even a cameo from Mirth Provisions founder Adam Stites (in the Legal tee).
There won’t be any new commercials in the foreseeable future – instead, Stites told Leafly, “we already have something else in the pipeline, so keep your eyes peeled in the next month or so.”

Check out a few standout screenshots and view the vid in full below.

The World's First Cannabis Commercial by Mirth Provisions (Stills)