Summer Campaign Americana

For the summer 2024 release of Ice Berry Gelato, Mitten Extracts provided the product and strain direction. From there, I developed the creative concept and led the campaign from initial idea through execution. Built around the feeling of a Midwest summer on the water, the campaign transformed a limited-edition product launch into a broader seasonal brand moment.

The concept extended from packaging and campaign identity into an original yacht production in Chicago, then across photography, video, 3D, digital, social, retail, and supporting launch materials.

Limited-edition products have a short window to build demand, particularly during the crowded summer cannabis season. A new package and a set of promotional assets would not have been enough. Ice Berry Gelato needed a campaign strong enough to distinguish the release while still feeling unmistakably Mitten Extracts.

With the product direction established, our challenge was to build an entire creative world around it quickly and carry that idea consistently from the package itself through the customer-facing launch.

As Creative Director, I conceived the summer campaign and led its development from concept through launch. I directed the packaging and campaign identity, developed the production concept and storyboards, and coordinated a multidisciplinary team across design, 3D, social, photography, video, and retail creative.

For the hero production, I helped organize a Chicago yacht shoot with six models, a videographer, and an assistant director, then directed the production on location. Working within a limited rental window, I managed the creative schedule, directed talent, kept Mitten’s ownership team informed throughout the shoot, and selected our location off the harbor to capture the campaign’s hero footage and photography.

Rather than relying on conventional product photography, I built the campaign around an experience: long summer days, friends on the water, and the aspirational energy of a weekend escape. The yacht became the setting that could turn those ideas into a recognizable visual world rather than simply another seasonal promotion.

That world then became the foundation for the full launch system. I worked with our designers and 3D artist to translate the concept across packaging, product visualization, digital advertising, social content, website creative, retail materials, and other campaign touchpoints, allowing one central idea to carry consistently from the product itself through its broader marketing.

Mitten Extracts reported that the initial production run sold through in approximately two weeks across a retail footprint of more than 30 locations, and the product returned for another seasonal release the following year.

The campaign also established a repeatable model for Mitten’s limited-edition launches: begin with the product, build a distinctive creative world around it, and extend that idea across packaging, content, retail, and digital rather than treating each channel as a separate execution.

For fall 2024, Mitten Extracts introduced three limited-edition flavors inspired by classic bakery favorites: Blueberry Muffin, Churros, and Peach Cobbler. Starting with the flavor lineup, I developed a campaign around a simple idea: rather than just reference baked goods visually, we would bring the products into an actual neighborhood bakery.

The concept grew into a fully integrated seasonal launch spanning packaging, film, photography, 3D, advertising, retail, social, and live event activation, all built around the warmth and familiarity of a fall bakery experience.

Mitten provided the three flavor profiles, but the creative world surrounding them had to be built from scratch. In a category crowded with limited-edition releases, simply putting bakery imagery on seasonal packaging wasn't enough.

The opportunity was to turn unfamiliar cannabis flavor profiles into something immediately recognizable and desirable, while giving the launch enough visual and experiential depth to stand out across retail, social, and cannabis events.

I conceived the bakery campaign and led its creative direction from initial concept through execution. I sourced Mia's Bakery in Southeast Michigan as the production location, helped coordinate the shoot with Mitten and our internal team, and directed the production on site.

The shoot brought together two principal talent, approximately 15 extras, three videographers, and supporting production staff. Beyond directing the narrative and performances, I worked with our team across packaging, design, 3D, social, and retail to carry the concept through every campaign touchpoint.

Instead of creating a bakery-inspired set, we produced the campaign inside a working bakery, using the environment itself to establish the warmth, craftsmanship, and nostalgia behind the three flavors.

That idea extended beyond the shoot. Mia's Bakery produced real baked goods corresponding to the campaign, which we labeled with product-specific stickers and distributed at cannabis events where Mitten promoted the release. The result connected packaging, storytelling, physical experience, and product marketing around the same central idea.

The limited-edition release sold through its initial production run within approximately two weeks, according to Mitten, across a retail footprint of more than 30 locations.

The campaign also gave Mitten a complete seasonal platform that could move from dispensary shelves and digital advertising into live cannabis events. Rather than treating the release as three isolated products, the bakery concept created one recognizable world around the collection and demonstrated a repeatable approach to seasonal launches.