The Province of Ontario has revealed the name and logo for government-operated marijuana stores once recreational pot is legal — to widespread mockery on social media.
The stores will be named “Ontario Cannabis Store” and the logo is a black-bordered circle with the acronym OCS inside. The legal name of the LCBO subsidiary is Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation.
“The name is designed to convey a safe, simple and approachable environment for consumers, and agency employees, in a clear and easily understood manner,” according to a statement from the LCBO on lcbocannabisupdates.com.
The LCBO has estimated the cost of the overall brand strategy, including the brand name and logo and other aspects of brand development, at approximately $650,000.
The apparently intentional lack of creativity in the proposed branding immediately prompted mocking from Twitter users:
The logo for "Ontario Cannabis Store" which is where you'll buy weed in Ontario looks like a front for a business that used microsoft word to put something together. pic.twitter.com/NffTRredTl
— Bryan Wood (@itsWoodrow) March 9, 2018
feel like they are missing this on the Ontario Cannabis Store logo pic.twitter.com/fP8CSXlsMb
— kevin Young (@KevinYounge) March 9, 2018
The creative team behind the Ontario Cannabis Store logo. #ONpoli pic.twitter.com/XKyQ2jq2zl
— Andrew Tumilty (@AndrewTumilty) March 9, 2018
"Ontario Cannabis Store: Because we committed to selling this stuff and I guess we have to follow through"
— Robyn Urback (@RobynUrback) March 9, 2018
They could have at least spiced up the Ontario trillium logo to go with the new Ontario Cannabis Store name #onpoli pic.twitter.com/QezmftO1nO
— Bruce Head (@brucehead) March 9, 2018
Ontario plans to open Ontario 40 stores by July 2018, growing to 80 by July 2019, and up to 150 stand-alone cannabis stores by the end of 2020.
To date, 29 communities have been selected to get one or more stores, including Peterborough and Lindsay in the Kawarthas. Specific store locations will be selected following public consultation.
The stores will sell cannabis products in the forms allowed under the proposed federal law. Initially, this will include dried and fresh cannabis, cannabis oil, as well as cannabis accessories. Edibles will not be sold until such times as the federal government may choose to make these legal.
Canadian commerce platform Shopify will be used for both in-store and online sales.
