Some celebrity endorsements are just preordained—or at least they begin to feel that way after a famous face is paired with the right brand for a message that quickly embeds itself into the popular consciousness.
And so it goes with BIC and its celebrity trio of Martha Stewart, Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson, who kick off the year with their second round of ads hyping the EZ Reach lighter.
As in previous creative, the spots lean heavily into cannabis culture with unsubtle puns about the various uses for the product and Nelson’s light-fingered tendencies (he’s always snatching Snoop’s EZ Reach).
No matter that firing up bowls (of floating candles) and lighting “a big fat” torch wick are low-hanging fruit in the joke department. The cheeky scripts—and the beloved stars—continue to move the needle for the brand, which saw a 6.5% jump in sales last year over 2022, per Circana.
Nelson joined in 2023, though Stewart and Snoop launched some of the brand’s most successful campaigns in its history starting in 2021. The country music legend and life-long weed advocate has extended his deal with BIC as he continues to tour and bask in the spotlight at 90 years old. The well-reviewed four-part documentary, Willie Nelson & Family, recently debuted on the Paramount+ streaming network.
Stewart continues her pop culture ubiquity these days—there’s an upcoming CNN doc, along with recent ads for Silvertree wearable tech and Skechers sneakers—while Snoop has joined the on-air commentator lineup for NBC’s Summer Olympics coverage.
The laconic ganjapreneur also went viral in November when he claimed he was “giving up smoke.” No one believed it, but it still broke the internet. In fact, he was collaborating with Solo Stove, a smokeless fire pit, adding to his lengthy brand roster that includes Corona, Grubhub, 19 Crimes and others.
Gathering the power trio was “so unexpected and at the same time feels authentic and organic,” per Katty Pien, BIC’s vice president of marketing.
“We believe the key to the campaign’s continued success not only lies in the playful dynamic and juxtaposition of tier personalities,” Pien told Adweek, “but also in connecting with a deep consumer truth—lighters are one of the most ‘borrowed’ items, making the whole campaign relevant and insightful.”