‘CYA,’ CBD! Inside the New Hemp Oil Rebranding Campaign by Ad Legend Tom Carroll

Hemp oil has long been touted by wellness experts for its numerous health benefits, including pain and inflammation relief, better skin, and reduced anxiety. Since both hemp oil and cannabidiol (CBD) are derived from the hemp plant, consumers often assume they’re one in the same, and that all hemp-derived products offer the same benefits. This couldn’t be more true, and ad industry legend Tom Carroll wants you to know it.

Carroll, who has lent his creative expertise to top global brands like Apple, McDonald's, and Nissan, recently worked with Functional Remedies to rebrand and launch their new flagship product line of full-spectrum hemp oil products called Synchronicity. 

Through the Synchronicity campaign, 20-year wellness industry pioneer Functional Remedies aims to educate consumers and encourage them to say “CYA!” to CBD. In its creative copy, Synchronicity highlights its whole-plant products, which “better align” with your body compared to CBD, and lets people enjoy all of hemp’s nutritional benefits.

According to Carroll, the Synchronicity email, display, paid social, radio (Sirius), and other digital ads were designed to “pick a fight with CBD.” 

E-commerce sales of CBD products have skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic as consumers seek to ease the anxiety and other ailments they’re feeling under quarantine. However, equating full-spectrum hemp oil to CBD oil is “like comparing freshly squeezed OJ to the stuff made from concentrate,” according to Carroll.

Functional Remedies, which is GMP-certified and boasts 100% organic and sustainable farming methods for creating its plant-to-body products, currently offers a wide range of hemp oil-based products under the Synchronicity brand, including capsules, tinctures, aromatherapy, serums, creams, sports balm, and body lotions/butters. 

See the campaign in action on the brand’s website and social media channels. ​