Even if advertisers are increasingly focusing on their efforts on targeted online consumers, there still seems to be some cache in plastering a message across a billboard.
The marijuana advocacy group Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol has put up several marijuana billboards in the past. Now they have a message targeted at millennials in Arizona. In cities such as Tuscon and Phoenix, drivers may notice billboards that ask “Have You Spoken To Your Parents About Marijuana?” The ad depicts a young woman sitting with her mother and will run through Mother’s Day this Sunday.
The Mother’s Day billboards may be the most recent example, but they are certainly not the only campaign taking advantage of receptive drivers. A few weeks ago, multiple ads were placed by Flow Kana on Bay Area roadside marijuana billboards. The company features boutique marijuana strains grown by independent farmers in the Emerald Triangle and has worked hard to bring attention to their efforts with the giant signs. Keeping in step with the organic food movement, Flow Kana’s “California Way” movement, is bringing attention to small batched marijuana grows.
Las Vegas companies will likely be putting up billboards ads as well. Vegas billboards have long been featuring nightlife options and casino entertainment. Recently, the Las Vegas City Council decided to ease up on their strict advertising guidelines. Medical marijuana dispensaries are still in their infancy in Sin City and have struggled to get the word out about their new operations. CEO of Oasis Medical Cananbis, Ben Sillitoe described the struggles of being denied traditional advertising routes. “We use a lot of social media and there is also specific cannabis friendly magazines that we’re able to advertise in, but aside from that it’s very limited,” said Sillitoe.
Marijuana may offer a unique opportunity for those leasing billboards. While online advertising is the future, perhaps marijuana companies can help keep the old billboards alive.
