Title	THE WEED CENTER
Brand	NOREGIAN DIRECTORATE OF HEALTH
Product/Service	CANNABIS
Category	C01. Digital & Interactive Design
Entrant	POL Oslo, NORWAY
Idea Creation	POL Oslo, NORWAY
Production	TRY OPT Oslo, NORWAY

Name	Company	Position
Marius Eriksen	POL Oslo	Account Director
Ina Egelandsdal	POL Oslo	Project Manager
Sindre Holmedal Johnstad	POL Oslo	Creative / Copywriter
Erlend Løfald	POL Oslo	Creative / Art Director
Andrea Engum	POL Oslo	Designer
Ole Jakob Bøe Skattum	POL Oslo	Designer
Simon Karlsson	POL Oslo	Planner
Christopher Køltzow	Try Apt	Designer
Christoffer Kungerbro	Try Apt	3D
Marius Nohr	Try Apt	Developer
Linda Tiller	Try Apt	Producer
Elle-Beth Lønnestad	POL Oslo	Producer
Sander August Dahl	POL Oslo	Director/Photography
Marcus Sætre	POL Oslo	Coordinator
Simon Fornes	POL Oslo	Set designer
Robert Billington	POL Oslo	Props
Ole Kristian Nilsen	POL Oslo	Lighting master
Stig Høyjord	PXLR	Post Production

Background

The Norwegian Directorate of Health was commissioned by the Government to ensure updated and strengthened communication on cannabis and the drug’s possible harmful effects. The target audience was young people between 15 and 17 years old. This was to become the first time the Directorate launched a campaign surrounding Cannabis. First and foremost, all use, sale and production of cannabis and products that can be made from the cannabis plant are regulated as drugs and are currently banned. The discussion around cannabis is very polarized, and there is a clear dissonance between scaremongering and cannabis in popular culture, and there are many myths and few facts. In addition, access is increasing than research, and a state institution cannot currently take control of the discussion in a globalized world of information, where the sources are scattered all around.

Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)

More and more people are testing cannabis and we can’t stop them – but we can give them the tools to make a conscious choice on when, what, and where, and at best say no. No pointing of fingers and using only facts – but in an interactive and interesting way, and on the target audience’s premis. The goal was to create more trust and openness around the topic through dialogue with the target audience. The solution was an all-digital campaign focused on the target audience’s lack of knowledge. We created Weedenseneret (The Weed Center) a digital interactive science center on cannabis that the target group could explore themselves. On the website, which has now become a fixture in the government's information on cannabis for young people, they can find basic, but thoroughly selected, information and facts about things we know they are wondering about.

Describe the execution (40% of vote)

Cannabis use among young people is increasing for the first time in ten years. The Directorate therefore wanted a website that would fill the knowledge gap with updated information. The challenge was to create a website that would visualize this with an established design language, convey the Directorate's neutrality and engage young people and create new enthusiasm. We landed on a solution where the information is visualized in 3D (WebGL) in real time to provide an immersive experience when navigating the website. A lot of work was done with the visuals to present the elements in a way that reflected neutrality. By avoiding playing on traditional tools often associated with cannabis ("cool and psychedelic") and instead using the Directorate's own profile and colors combined with soft transitions and animations, interesting scenes and camera runs, we gave it a more serious but at the same time playful appearance.

List the results (20% of vote)

The goal of the campaign was to reach over 60% of the target group with facts about cannabis, in hope that they will postpone their debut with a few years, or do not try at all. And we did it: 8 out of 10 young people aged 15-17 saw the campaign, and it delivered an enormous commitment in the form of actions. - The proportion who say they have tried cannabis went from 14% to 9% (35% decrease) - The proportion who have not tried in the last 12 months went from 9% to 24% (167% increase) - Knowledge that cannabis is addictive went from 59% to 69% (17% increase) - Knowledge that the younger you are, the more dangerous cannabis is for the brain – went from 59% to 68% (15% increase) - Knowledge that cannabis can trigger or aggravate mental disorders ranged from 49% to 59% (20% increase)