Turning the table with Ad Judge Bernice Lo

Highlighting the Next to Stok'd Cannabis campaign

January 29, 2025

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Turning the table with Ad Judge Bernice Lo

2024 Advertising Awards Judge Bernice Lo and her team at Angry Butterfly are the masterminds behind the Next to Stok'd campaign—A seven-time 2024 Applied Arts Advertising Awards winner is pure cleverness—it's no wonder this Toronto-based agency catapulted up the creative ladder to #12 on the 2024 Strategy Creative Report. Bernice shares the innovative thinking that went into creating the campaign that resulted in this inescapable message.



Stok’d Cannabis is a small chain of cannabis stores. As we know, cannabis is legal in Canada. Yet most Cannabis advertising isn’t. So we thought, if we can’t advertise Stok’d retail locations and products, why don’t we advertise their neighbours instead?

 

Next To Stok’d was a collaboration with neighbouring businesses to indirectly promote Stok’d stores and cannabis benefits without violating any of the strict advertising restrictions.

 

Stok'd


The campaign bypassed the filters on Meta, Google, Spotify, and YouTube, among others, in a disruptive way.

 

“We wanted our production to feel very grassroots. We took inspiration from the local university students who shot Saul Goodman’s commercials on Better Call Saul. Imperfect, on purpose, in a way we knew would make people smile and truly feel like this neighbourhood store had their 21-year-old nephew shoot for them as a favour.”
Chenice Piercy, ACD, Angry Butterfly

 

Stok'd

“We’re all very proud of the ‘Next to Stok’d’ campaign. It’s another example of how our teams take on whatever the communication challenges are, and find an unconventional way to breakthrough. From last year’s Bill it to Bezos to our recent Porsche Taste Drive, we’re really finding our Angry Butterfly groove.”
Bernice Lo, ECD, Angry Butterfly

 

YOY Stok’d had 26 percent more in-store customers, 29 percent more online customers and a 12 percent increase in revenue. Safe to say, it was a hit.


Bullseye, congrats Angry Butterfly.

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