“Obstacles don’t stop life—they show us the way,” declares former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Love Hemp’s first television advert, launched this week. “I invested in Love Hemp,” he concludes. The CBD brand has invested £500,000 in a four week long, nationwide campaign running on television (including ITV, Sky and Channel 4) and national broadcaster video-on-demand platforms, as well as in print and in multiple outdoor advertising formats from Monday 15 November.
CBDBusiness.news asked Love Hemp’s co-founder and CEO, Tony Calamita, his reasons for running a television campaign at this point in time, both in terms of the market and Love Hemp’s development. He told us, “Since we welcomed Anthony Joshua on board as an investor and ambassador for Love Hemp in the summer, we have been working closely with him and his team to create our first national media campaign.
“It is an exciting time for the business, and we have ambitious plans to build on what we have achieved over the past six years.
“We’re delighted at how well our campaign with Joshua has been received already. The CBD industry is growing quickly both in the UK, and internationally, and we want everyone to be able to experience and enjoy the many benefits it provides.”
"Feel the love, the flow, the freedom," says Anthony Joshua in a television advert for Love Hemp CBD products
A message which the brand wants to get across to potential consumers is that its CBD products can help them “feel more focused, calm and free”.
Trust is a key issue for consumers considering buying cannabis products. On the quality front, the firm claims to have been one of the first in the UK to conduct third-party testing on all its products. It also decided to create its brand products with all production done in-house. Endorsement, and sometimes investment, from celebrities and sports stars is now a familiar part of CBD marketing, in a bid to build the credibility of a brand: David Beckham and Cellular Goods, golfer Darren Clarke and Sana Lifestyle. Sports bodies have joined in too: the Professional Cricketers Association and Purity Hemp Company, and in June, Love Hemp signed a five year global partnership with mixed martial arts organisation UFC.
“We see partnerships with strong role models such as Anthony Joshua, coupled with powerful marketing, as a key part of our growth strategy,” explains Mr Calamita.
Anthony Joshua comments, “As an investor in the company, I am delighted to help Love Hemp increase awareness of its premium CBD products and the positive impact they have on wellbeing.”