A pro-pot group has been has received the highest number of votes in the first round of an online contest to have its ad promoting marijuana legalization aired during the Super Bowl XLVIII.
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws has entered its spot in a contest sponsored by Intuit, in which the applicant receiving the highest number of votes will have their ad produced and submitted for broadcast during the big game.
“Together, we the people, are ending the US war on pot. With the last election and with the recent announcement from the attorney general in Washington DC, we are beautifully positioned to make sure a responsible, adult American citizen is never again arrested for enjoying the beauties of recreational marijuana,” NORML says on its entry page. “But this doesn’t just happen. Please take a moment of your time to support our campaign to bring the message of legalization to the masses with this Super Bowl Ad.”
With votes flooding in for NORML at Intuit’s site, the company, which offers a host of small buisness services, may find itself obliged to produce the pro-pot ad.
“Intuit leadership is surely wringing their collective hands over the matter,” brand analyst Peter Madden told CNBC. “Though marijuana isn’t as taboo a subject since its legal approval in varying states, it is the equivalent to a scarlet letter — albeit one tainted green — that their brand is now forced to wear. Such is the danger to brands who go the contest route.”
Ultimately, however, whether the ad will actually air on Super Bowl Sunday will be up to Fox, the network broadcasting this year’s game. Given the strong support that NORML’s application has already received, the group remains hopeful that the network and Intuit will heed the voting results.
“We hope Intuit will give NORML the same fair chance as any other entrant,” NORML’s communications director, Erik Altieri, said in a statement. “Our victory would be a win for all parties involved: Intuit gets lots of media coverage and good will for themselves and their contest, FOX would bring in hundreds of thousands of new viewers who would otherwise not watch the Super Bowl, and NORML gets to take our message about the tragic failings of marijuana prohibition to the masses.”
