From Gwyneth Paltrow to Jay-Z to, uh, Urkle, a look at the stars who are stamping their names on THC
The news that sitcom star Jaleel White has begun to market “Purple Urkle” cannabis products made us wonder: With recreational marijuana now legal in fifteen states, have we already hit a saturation point with celebrity tie-ins?
White, who played the nerdy Steve Urkle on the ‘90s ABC hit Family Matters, may not tick your box as a current celebrity, at least along the lines of Seth Rogen, Jay-Z, or Snoop Dogg, all-stars hawking their own THC product. But he is a “name,” and while his efforts do highlight a huge disparity in the cannabis realm (more on that below), he is just one of several past or present cultural icons who have tied their name into a growing business.
But is “several” already too many?
“I think [the success of celebrity cannabis brands] depend on the celebrity,” says Verena von Pfetten, the co-founder of Gossamer, a cannabis publication that also makes its own CBD products, which we quite like. “The best ones — which are currently quite rare, feel authentic and true to the celebrity — offer something beyond a name or endorsement, and are built and branded in a way that allows them to grow beyond the celebrity themselves.”
While name recognition helps with launch and awareness — especially since brand marketing in cannabis is restricted due to federal regulation — that cannabis product could live or die by its celebrity identity.
Original Source: Inside Hook