Canadian Cannabis Brand Vert Is Reinventing Product Design for a New Market

Photos and video courtesy Vert

Canada’s legal market for adult-use cannabis is due to launch this summer, but the strict regulations set for cannabis branding and advertising are leading marijuana companies to rethink how they promote themselves to consumers. To surmount this critical obstacle, Canadian cannabis brand Vert, a subsidiary of Canopy Growth determined to produce the best cannabis for Quebec and beyond, teamed up with the GRDN Interdisciplinary Design Studio and Caravane artists LM Chabot and Nik Mirus of the creative agency L'Éloi to design compelling and innovative visual advertising for Vert’s coming line of marijuana products.

Vert wanted to have a clean identity for its imminent launch in Quebec. From art direction to packaging design, deployment strategy, and content production, GRDN has worked closely with the company to deploy a holistic brand vision at all points of contact in its ecosystem.

Photo for Vert Balance

A major challenge

In addition to communicating the coexistence of the medical and recreational aspects of cannabis use, the main challenge was to shift perceptions of a product in an emerging industry with few precedents, in addition to Canadian regulations which require that cannabis is never shown explicitly in branding or advertising.

The visuals are instead presented in the form of fables, in different modes representing popular uses of cannabis: Escape, Relaxation and Balance. The photographers LM Chabot and Nik Mirus proposed images with models and in still life for each fable, as well as to render them with animations, in order to create an active perspective through movement. This technical approach to the image was put forward by the duo of Caravane directors.

Video for Vert Escape

A "disruptive" approach

"GRDN wanted to collaborate with L'Éloi because their creative artists have a vision and a particular approach, which can be described as disruptive," says Hugo Savoie, co-founder and director of the GRDN studio.

By associating with craftsmen of L'Eloi, it was possible to develop an evocative universe resulting from a collective interpretation of the product. Result: a unique look that can not be ignored — see for yourself below.