4/20 Non-Cannabis Brand Communications in 2021

4/20 has come and gone once again, but not without brands, celebrities, and ordinary people having their say about it all across the planet. Jokes, comments, or acknowledgements of some kind are almost obligatory, and so it goes that social media accounts ring out all across the planet to have their say.

Here we compile the best of the best. Are they cliched? Sure. Cringe-worthy? Occasionally. Profound? Surprisingly, it can happen. And yet 4/20 comes but once a year. Why not sit back, relax, and enjoy the sense of occasion that stems from your favorite holiday?

South Park/Adidas

You don’t have to be a fan of cannabis to love South Park, but it sure does go good with their cerebral humor and their crazy voices. The longstanding television phenomenon opted neither to make jokes nor a statement but instead to launch a unique product.

Fans of Towlie and fine footwear are sure to be thrilled with the announcement while lovers of cannabis will probably be confused that the franchise declined to mention weed at all in their tweet.

Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith and cannabis go way back. Even before he began a cannabis habit of his own, Kevin Smith made a name for himself with renowned stoner flicks like Clerks, Mallrats, and others. It’s no surprise that cannabis royalty like him decided to weigh in.

Smith decided to go beyond Twitter, announcing a partnership with the merchandising brand “The Hundreds”. Great news for the director’s legion of fans!

Reebok

Reebok is another family brand that decided to weigh in on the 4/20 festivities. While the company didn’t really dive into the humor pool, they did take the opportunity to announce a shoe with color patterns they felt 4/20 lovers would appreciate.

Were they correct? You can decide for yourself.

HBO

HBO also dove into the green waters of 4/20 with a still shot from one of their shows depicting a character that appears to be in the middle of miming a toke. While neither a joke nor a statement, the Tweet was likely exciting for people that appreciate both cannabis and premium cable.

Snickers

Snickers is a decidedly family brand, so it might be surprising to see that the company opted to contribute to the 4/20 conversation. They did weigh-in, but rather lightly. You can make your own conclusions about their contribution.

Burger King

Burger King went decidedly light on their 4/20 reference, with a tweet that might have been easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it. Of course, the brand still gets points for humor, even they did go with the sort of joke you can tell your grandma.

Bernie Sanders

Bernie may not seem like your average toker, but the outspoken Vermont senator still took a moment to publish a tweet commemorating 4/20 for “all those who want it.” As you’d expect from Senator Sanders, the tweet was political in nature, but also not without its humor.

Northern Independence Party

Bernie certainly wasn’t the only political entity that decided to take a moment to celebrate the day. England’s Northern Indepdcence Party also took a moment to announce their support for cannabis legalization. They didn’t quite nail Bernie’s form, but points can still be awarded for sentiment, right?

Comedy Central

Comedy Central is known for bringing laughs. It should be no surprise then that they used the occasion to make a cannabis-themed joke using a diagram of a joint that was humourous and surprisingly on the money. It was a pretty good gag, especially considering it had to compete with pancake slippers for laughs.

Ben and Jerry’s

Speaking of sentiment, it would be hard to outclass Ben and Jerry’s. The global ice cream chain opted for a little bit of poignancy on a day that is often taken with a light heart, using their platform to highlight the racial inequality that has been present in the enforcement of cannabis laws for decades.

Heavy stuff, but we solute Ben and Jerry’s for sending a message that is bolder than their Rocky Road.

Insomnia Cookies

Ben and Jerry’s wasn’t the only sweet treat stop that had something to say about 4/20. Insomnia Cookies may not have opted to advocate for social change, but they did make our mouths water with a pretty incredible 4/20 snack recommendation. Those looking for a cannabis session companion snack are advised to take heed.

They chimed in again with another picture teasing their sweet treats. We get it! Your food is delicious and incredible.

Denny’s

Denny’s also took the time to make themselves heard, releasing an enigmatic picture of a box said to contain a promotional item. The item turned out to be pancake slippers — weird, but we will take it.

Del Taco

Tacos are a natural, certainly very popular stoner snack, so it should be no surprise at all that Del Taco decided to take a turn commenting on the festivities. Their tweet showed a taco being prepared against a rainbow backdrop. Not the most creative entry on our list, but our bet is that they enjoyed a 4/20 rush all the same.

&Pizza

&Pizza decided to take a page out of Ben and Jerry’s playbook, using their platform to hit their audience with what the company described as “weed facts”. And no, the facts weren’t about how many times the average stoner chuckles during used car commercials. The facts were poignant, race-related, and educational.

Our thanks, &Pizza, for taking the high road.

Smash Burgers

Smash Burgers didn’t exactly go for clever or impactful with their 4/20 celebration. Nevertheless, they still launched a message we think their fans will appreciate. After all, who doesn’t love a buy one get one free promo, right? Hopefully, you took advantage.

Jimmy John’s

Anyone who’s been to a college town at 3 AM on a Saturday night knows that Jimmy John’s is a popular stop amongst the 4/20 crowd. Not surprisingly, the sandwich chain chose to recognize this association with a very on the nose tweet that explored the dual meanings of the word “bake.”

It may be a layup, but those count, too, right?

Conclusion

Clearly, not all 4/20 messaging is created equally. Some of the brands listed above were more clever than others, and yet all are united around one pleasing fact: cannabis culture is now snuggly in the mainstream.

When companies like Snickers are throwing their hat in the mix, while Ben and Jerry’s uses the day to wax philosophically on systemic racism, you can be sure that cannabis has now reached a point of acceptance.