CASE STUDY: Ecquinabis
Puff and Pass:
Ecquinabis is a compliance and diversity consulting firm dedicated to economic equity in the legal cannabis space. We were approached by their CEO to create a visual identity, web platform, and needed marketing and business collateral. Our approach and direction amplifies their message of inclusion, and equity, as well as, draws attention to the devastation the “War on Drugs” has had and continues to have on communities of color.
The Cause:
With exuberate requirements for dispensary licenses, a mountain of fees and hoops to jump through, Ecquinabis saw how the cannabis industry was shaping out to be and who exactly it was shutting out during initial state legalizations. This Black female-owned and operated business sought to make a difference the best way they knew how: through legal and business expertise to help people of color find access into this emerging space.
THE FACTSBlack people are nearly 4 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than their white counterparts, though studies show that marijuana usage is the same.
Even today, Black and brown men and women sit in jail for non-violent marijuana possession charges, and in some cases, where it’s legal. Even after they’ve served their time, access to the industry is virtually non-existent due to, though not exclusively:
criminal record checks and questions in job applications
convoluted and expensive expungement processes
needed capital upfront stretching into the millions
vague, inadequate or altogether non-existent “social equity mandates” or “diversity quotas”
A projected $37 billion industry by 2024 is thriving while people of color have had their communities, families, and lives destroyed for generations. Marijuana arrests can leave a person devoid of career opportunities, adequate housing, education loans, and/or even food stamps.
To us, a business operating in this young industry needed a more playful, modern identity, to add a needed juxtaposition to the seriousness of their work.
The Direction:
Their logo features an abstract “E” that’s represented by three skewed lines and stands for Ecquinabis.
The two lines shaded in are abstracted from the “economic” and “equity” parts of their business (that also begin with the letter “E”) and the circle serves as an expression of how these parts make up who they are and what they stand for.
Fonts: Brandon Grotesque, Ratio Modern, Orator Std.
Palette: Bud, Sky, Creme, Ash
Elements: Fluid abstract shapes (we call ‘em ‘blobs’) and light strokes
ANMP is a creative consultancy offering services across art direction, social media content creation, brand strategy, graphic design, and more. We’ve also recently launched INHAUS, an online store supporting noteworthy causes. Want to learn more?