 | |
| Agency | Saatchi & Saatchi |
|---|---|
| Client | New South Wales Department of Premier and Cabinet |
| Language | English |
| Media | Television |
| Release date(s) | 2015 |
| Country | Australia |
| Budget | $500,000 |
"Stoner Sloth" was an anti-cannabis public service announcement series of three videos, created by Australia's New South Wales Department of Premier and Cabinet in 2015. [1] [2]
Each ad begins with a scenario involving people in public places. As everyone is acting "normal", it is all disrupted by Stoner Sloth, a sloth who reacts slowly while moaning. Stoner Sloth is meant to represent the behavior of a stereotypical stoner and its actions are accompanied by a musical cue of a guitar being weakly strummed. The human characters around Stoner Sloth usually react with disgust or disappointment.
The creative firm Saatchi & Saatchi created the ads which "backfired miserably" and were an "instant and classic fail", [1] according to trade publication Adweek . [3] The agency defended its ads, which cost $500,000. [4] The National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre distanced itself from the campaign. [5]
420, 4:20, or 4/20 is cannabis culture slang for marijuana and hashish consumption, especially smoking around the time 4:20 pm, and also refers to cannabis-oriented celebrations that take place annually on April 20.
The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. These policies in most countries are regulated by three United Nations treaties: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Single Convention treaty, meaning that signatories can allow medical use but that it is considered to be an addictive drug with a serious risk of abuse.
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that advocates for the reform of marijuana laws in the United States regarding both medical and non-medical use. According to their website, NORML supports "the removal of all penalties for the private possession and responsible use of marijuana by adults, including cultivation for personal use, and casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts" and advocates for "the creation of a legal and regulatory framework for marijuana's production and retail sale to adults". NORML also has a sister organization, NORML Foundation, that focuses on educational efforts and providing legal assistance and support to people affected negatively by current marijuana laws. Organizations that operate under the NORML banner in other countries include NORML New Zealand, NORML Ireland, NORML Canada, NORML UK, NORML South Africa, and NORML France.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is a component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
Super Bowl commercials, colloquially known as Super Bowl ads, are high-profile television commercials featured in the U.S. television broadcast of the Super Bowl, the championship game of the National Football League (NFL). Super Bowl commercials have become a cultural phenomenon of their own alongside the game itself, as many viewers only watch the game to see the commercials. Super Bowl advertisements have become iconic and well known because of their cinematographic quality, unpredictability, surreal humor, and use of special effects. The use of celebrity cameos has also been common in Super Bowl ads. Some commercials airing during, or proposed to air during the game, have also attracted controversy due to the nature of their content.
Wieden+Kennedy is an independent American advertising agency best known for its work for Nike. Founded by Dan Wieden and David Kennedy, and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, it is one of the largest independently owned advertising agencies in the world.
In the United States, the use of cannabis for medical purposes is legal in 35 states, four out of five permanently inhabited U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, as of November 2020. Thirteen other states have more restrictive laws limiting THC content, for the purpose of allowing access to products that are rich in cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis. There is significant variation in medical cannabis laws from state to state, including how it is produced and distributed, how it can be consumed, and what medical conditions it can be used for.
Cannabis political parties are generally single-issue parties that exist to oppose the laws against cannabis.
The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is a current domestic government propaganda campaign in the United States conducted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) within the Executive Office of the President of the United States with the goal to "influence the attitudes of the public and the news media with respect to drug abuse" and of "reducing and preventing drug abuse among young people in the United States".
David Droga is an Australian advertising executive and the founder and chairman of Droga5, an advertising agency headquartered in New York City with an office in London.
Smart Approaches to Marijuana is an organization opposed to marijuana legalization and commercialization. SAM describes itself as a bi-partisan partnership that works with local, state, and federal legislators to create policies that decrease marijuana use. SAM advocates for civil penalties for marijuana use, along with mandated treatment, prevention, education, and awareness. The media has called SAM the "well-organized opposition" to marijuana legalization.
Cannabis in South Dakota will be legal for both medical and recreational use on July 1, 2021, having been legalized by a pair of ballot initiatives on November 3, 2020. Prior to then, cannabis was illegal for all purposes, with South Dakota being the only U.S. state which outlawed ingestion of controlled substances. Testing positive for cannabis could be a misdemeanor offense. South Dakota became the first state in US history to legalize recreational and medical cannabis simultaneously.
Team One, an advertising agency based in Los Angeles, California, is a division of Saatchi & Saatchi. It was founded in 1987 and focuses on luxury products and services.
The Cannabis Act (C-45) of June, 2018, paved the way to the legalization of cannabis in Canada on October 17, 2018. Police and prosecution services in all Canadian jurisdictions are currently capable of pursuing criminal charges for cannabis marketing without a licence issued by Health Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada has held that the federal Parliament has the power to criminalise the possession of cannabis and that doing so does not infringe the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Ontario Court of Appeal and the Superior Court of Ontario have, however, held that the absence of a statutory provision for medical marijuana is unconstitutional, and to that extent the federal law is of no force and/or effect if a prescription is obtained. The recreational use of cannabis has been legalized by the federal government, and took effect on October 17, 2018.
Cannabis advertising is the advertising of cannabis products to consumers by the cannabis industry through a variety of media. It is regulated by U.S. states. Some or all forms of cannabis advertising are banned in many countries.
"Dog's View", also called "Talking Dog", is a 2007 anti-cannabis public service announcement (PSA) created by the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) as part of the Above the Influence campaign. The PSA features a dog who sits down at a kitchen counter and asks a teenage girl if she might be smoking too much marijuana. It was one of several ONDCP PSAs shown to increase cannabis consumption in teens. It has been the subject of numerous parodies and critiques, including a Joe Rogan stand-up routine, and a 2008 parody featuring Aubrey Plaza who resembles the actress in the original. The original PSA acquired over 1.1 million views on YouTube between its upload in 2008 and 2017. In 2011, Adweek profiled the PSA as one of ten that "make you want to take drugs". In 2018, it was ranked by High Times as one of the top six worst anti-cannabis ads, "hilariously inaccurate".
A portion of the taxes on legal cannabis sold since July, 2014 under Initiative 502 funds anti-cannabis public service announcements (PSAs) in Washington State.
