The CEO of Solo Stove, a smokeless fire pit company that used Snoop Dogg in a November ad campaign in which the rapper claimed he was giving up smoking, has departed the company after the promotion fell flat financially.
The Drop It Like It’s Hot artist, 52, sparked speculation from fans after he said he was ‘giving up smoke’ in a commercial for Solo Stove that debuted November 16.
Following the ad campaign, which generated headlines amid the musical artist’s decades-long fondness for marijuana, Snoop Dogg clarified that the previous message was in conjunction with an ad campaign.
In the aftermath of the unconventional ad campaign’s ineffectiveness in generating the company substantial revenue, Solo Stove CEO, president, and director John Merris agreed to ‘mutually separate’ from the brand, according to Rolling Stone.
According to a bio page still live on Solo’s website, Merris had held the position since October 2018 and had been on the brand’s board of directors since March 2021.
The CEO of Solo Stove, a smokeless fire pit company that used Snoop Dogg, 52, in an ad campaign in which the rapper claimed he was giving up smoking, has departed the company
Solo Stove CEO John Merris agreed to ‘mutually separate’ from the brand in the aftermath of the unconventional ad campaign’s ineffectiveness in generating substantial revenue
Merris, who had previously held executive positions in companies dealing with manufacturing and media, had been ‘recognized as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Regional Winner,’ according to Solo.
Merris’ position will be filmed by former Vista Outdoor CEO Christopher Metz, according to the outlet.
The company’s interim CFO Andrea Tarbox issued a statement explained in detail the fallout of the ad featuring the rap icon.
‘While our unique marketing campaigns raised brand awareness of Solo Stove to an expanded and new audience of consumers, it did not lead to the sales lift that we had planned,’ Tarbox said.
Tarbox said that while ‘increased marketing investments’ damages its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), company officials remain optimistic that their efforts will eventually lead to prosperity.
‘We believe there is a significant opportunity for us to build awareness and that these new campaigns will expand our reach and benefit our brands over the long term,’ Tarbox said.
Merris had estimated around 60,000 gained a new awareness of the outdoor product, according to Rolling Stone, and that the brand had an uptick in followers on social media following the campaign featuring Snoop Dogg.
Snoop Dogg sparked speculation from fans after he said he was ‘giving up smoke’ in a commercial for Solo Stove that debuted November 16
Following the ad campaign, which generated headlines amid the musical artist’s decades-long fondness for marijuana, Snoop Dogg clarified that the previous message was in conjunction with an ad campaign
Company officials said that the campaign had failed to generate significant revenue
In the initial ad, Snoop Dogg said he was ‘giving up smoke,’ adding, ‘Please respect my privacy at this time.’
He subsequently took to social media to further clarify what he had meant: ‘I have an announcement – I’m giving up smoke. I know what you’re thinking. “Snoop! Smoke is kind of your whole thing.” But I’m done with it.
He continued: ‘I’m done with the coughing and my clothes smelling all sticky-icky. I’m going smokeless. Solo Stove fixed fire – they took out the smoke. Clever.’
The ad campaign was praised by people in the advertising industry, with Ad Age including it in its top 40 ads of the year.
