Autumn Brands Instagram
Breaking New Ground
Winner of the first-ever American Graphic Design Award for a Cannabis Instagram (2019)
I was given the Autumn Brands social media accounts just as my colleagues were reimagining the logo and packaging concepts. This meant we had a fresh look and a great opportunity to establish a following on Instagram. As cannabis brands are prevented from paying for advertising on social platforms, outreach on Instagram depends on content that sparks a brief moment of joy in the viewer, and a desire to see more.
Inspiration
With only limited photography provided by the client, I produced a wide range of imagery, all focused around the core themes of family-farmed, high quality, pesticide-free, cannabis flower already associated with the brand, along with the cultivation of wellness and holistic health for a more relaxed lifestyle. I provided my own photographs, as well as some extensive Photoshopping, to create memorable moments, mild laughter, and of course, build a following.
Amongst my favorite category of content types that I would cycle through for Autumn Brands’ Instagram account were what I called the “Surrealist Posts.” The purpose of these images was to play on the idea that partaking of cannabis might make you see things differently, which fed back into the purveyor’s intention to change the public perception that stigmatized “stoners.” It has become a fun way to play with the product in a not-taking-itself-too-seriously-sort-of-way with a gentle nod to surrealists such as René Magritte.
