Brand Development for an industry-leading California dispensary chain.
Farid Harrison
CEO / Velvet Cannabis
A comprehensive brand identity and marketing strategy for one of California’s most beloved cannabis retailers.
Velvet Cannabis needed a full brand identity and e-commerce website that would position them as a refined, comfortable dispensary offering Nordstrom-level service—appealing to an older, more sophisticated demographic than the typical Bay Area weed shop.
Shortly after the 2020 opening of Velvet’s flagship location in Martinez, CA, I was hired as the Creative & Marketing Director. This gave me the opportunity to evolve and grow the brand as Velvet expanded into Los Angeles and Napa wine country.
BRAND IDENTITY
The tip of the leaf was the tip of the iceberg.
The Velvet logo pairs a triangular icon (representing the tip of a cannabis leaf) with a high-contrast serif wordmark, creating a timeless mark that feels premium, approachable, and devoid of overplayed “stoner” iconography. To create industry differentiation and support the textural nature of the name, I crafted a color palette of deep purples paired with warm, bright secondary hues.
Halftone textures mimicking the folds of velvet fabric are used throughout the identity, providing a subtle backdrop for a modern sans-serif typographic system. Sub-brand logos for Velvet’s loyalty program, ambassador program, and charitable foundation reference the triangular shapes and details of the primary mark.
WEBSITE
Creating a smoother shopping experience.
In 2026, I launched the third iteration of the VelvetCannabis.com website. Built on Prismic and integrated seamlessly with Velvet’s e-commerce partner, Treez, the site is designed for frictionless shopping on desktop or mobile, intuitive browsing, and optimization for both search engines and AI discovery.
I developed dedicated iconography for product segments and effect-based categories, allowing shoppers to find what suits them efficiently. Banner images showcase the breadth and depth of Velvet’s inventory, with product imagery angled to echo the triangular geometry of the logo.
MARKETING
Extraordinary marketing in a regulated industry.
Promoting a cannabis business comes with endless roadblocks: no access to Google or Meta ad platforms, hyper-restrictive social media guidelines, and few out-of-home advertising opportunities. I focused our budget on channels where we could make the highest impact.
Targeted lifecycle marketing via email, SMS, and push notifications drove repeat visits from both new and existing customers. Dynamic programmatic ads reached the canna-curious, while cheeky social media posts and seasonal billboards met commuters and doom-scrollers where they spent their time.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Familiar, friendly faces.
Velvet’s retail model is unique: budtenders act as consultants rather than just cashiers. This builds genuine trust; many regulars will happily wait an extra few minutes just to work with their favorite staff member.
I collaborated with our team to build a comprehensive photo library capturing authentic customer interactions, focusing heavily on our team members. Perhaps not coincidentally, Velvet has been rated one of the top 5 “Best Places to Work in Cannabis” every year since opening in 2020.
MERCHANDISE
Taking the Velvet brand from the store to the streets.
Velvet-branded tees, hats, and hoodies have been part of the staff uniform since day one, and customers constantly asked how to buy them. Seasonal promotions and swag giveaways scratched the itch, but demand kept growing.
In July 2026, my team launched VelvetBrand.com—a standalone Shopify store featuring classic logo gear alongside limited-edition designs inspired by local sports teams, ’80s graffiti, Saul Bass movie posters, and sacred geometry.
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