Despite medicinal cannabis being legalised for several years, there continues to be a stigma surrounding the medication which prohibits Kiwis from seeking out prescriptions or speaking to their GPs for fear of judgement. This continues to hinder the still-nascent sector.
We wanted to demonstrate the clinical excellence, professionalism and accessibility of Cannabis Clinic, however the business operates in a sensitive regulatory environment where breaching advertising guidelines would face them with severe penalties.
Stop the Stigma was an integrated campaign across earned PR, advertising, and social media which educated the public about medicinal cannabis and shared real human stories. As a basis, we commissioned research about stigma, channels and barriers to entry, integrating the data throughout.
The combination of the symbolic campaign imagery (sneakers slung over a powerline) and the supporting data which revealed two-thirds of Kiwis still believe there is a stigma associated with medicinal cannabis, ensured the campaign became an important stand for patient safety, advocacy, and a way to uplift the sector.
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