Ethos Cannabis is a Pittsburgh-based multi-state operator that specializes in providing some of the highest quality cannabis products on the market. Thanks to their research agreement with nearby Thomas Jefferson University, Ethos has access to the latest groundbreaking research in the world of cannabis.
The Ethos of Music and Cannabis
Ethos wanted to develop a new subsidiary brand of high-quality, accessible, musically-themed cannabis products.
Looking to develop a user-centered, music-themed cannabis brand, the Ethos team came to Cannabis Creative for support in designing a product brand from the ground up. It was essential that this new brand be affordable and accessible but still maintain quality.
The main goal – as with all their subsidiary brands – was to craft an intentional experience for their customers. With this new brand, Ethos wanted to echo the sentiments of comfort and reliability.
In other words, we needed a brand with a visual identity, personality, and overall brand strategy that felt like a long-time friend you’ve known for years; a song you can play over and over without getting sick of; vintage t-shirts that never seem to go out of style; that tried-and-true cannabis you always come back to.
Additionally, Ethos as a parent company was passionate about incorporating nods to music and art throughout the product lines. For this project, music was a big focus.
In addition to developing the branding, the Ethos team wanted an accompanying simple, well-functioning website that was compliant with the multiple states that the brand would be sold.
Cannabis Creative took a thoughtful approach to product brand strategy.
Our team’s priority was to establish a brand strategy that would align with the Ethos goals. The design and creative teams started by exploring musical concepts that could be incorporated into the brand’s visual identity without being too on the nose.
We were looking for a vintage concept that we could add a modern visual spin on and ultimately landed on a few variations centered around a record player and a vintage stereo dial. These images offered a feeling of homey comfort that aligned with the Ethos brand goals.
From here, we played with visual elements such as colors, fonts, photography, and more to develop a tangible feel for the brand. We aimed for something fun and relaxed, but not too edgy to align with the accessible nature of the product.
Our design team developed a logo around the concept of the stereo dial turned all the way up to “eleven,” therefore birthing the brand’s name. This allows us to tune into a musical concept with a minimalistic look that elevated the vintage concept into something much more eye-catching.
With this new logo, we created a color palette, type suite, and style guide to fully establish all layers of the brand. Having this foundation, the Cannabis Creative team was then able to mock up unique packaging designs that would stand out from the Ethos and Eleven competition on the shelf.
In particular, the Vape Cartridges we worked on were really unique. Interestingly, in our experience, there aren’t many branded cart designs on the market that actually stand out. With Ethos, we were able to create an on-brand package that is memorable and helps with brand awareness at every touchpoint.
Overall, Cannabis Creative tackled the branding of Ethos’s new product brand, Eleven, with a thoughtful, strategic approach. Doing so led us to a classy, vintage brand identity that retains a sense of modern quality. We were also able to explore other potential brand concepts for the Ethos team to build out their arsenal of high-quality cannabis product lines.
