A cannabis comedy podcast for the high-functioning and highly entertained

The Brief

Bring Tokes & Jokes, The Rooster Magazine’s half-baked but high-potential podcast, back to life—with a brand system bold enough to roll with them (and up with them).

The show had dropped two episodes, then faded into the cannabis ether. I pitched a full redesign of the show’s identity, voice, and supporting media—alongside a revitalized episode featuring visual artist Rubezilla. Deliverables included:

  • Podcast design system

  • Print tab design for magazine integration

  • Audio-visual brand strategy

  • Copywriting across digital, print, and in-podcast experience

  • Target audience personas

  • Sponsor integration roadmap

The Problem

How do you grow a podcast that’s already ghosted its own audience?

The Rooster is a cult-favorite in Colorado—raunchy, rebellious, and unfiltered. Tokes & Jokes had to match that energy without sounding like a stoner cliché. Our challenge: build a podcast system that could evolve with the brand, scale content quickly, and actually get listened to.

Our Audience

Think: Rooster readers who never gave up their D.A.R.E. shirts. Or people who hotbox their Subaru but still get their kids to daycare on time.

Personas included:

  • Relaxed Riley (27): Wellness-minded creative who unwinds with edibles and YouTube rabbit holes.

  • Newbie Nina (24): Just moved to Denver. Tries sativa on weekends. Very into stand-up and Instagram polls.

  • Professional Pat (42): Chef. Dad. Weed snob. Wants cannabis without the cringe.

They’re all funny, smart, and just high enough to want smart, funny content.

Voice & Tone Strategy

Rooster’s voice is already Rated R. I leaned in—hard.

We took the tone of late-night comedy shows, wrapped it in rolling papers, and added the audio texture of a basement giggle loop. Our content pillars:
-Art
-Cannabis
-Comedy

The podcast needed to feel like a smoke sesh with friends—somewhere between Hot Ones and a live stand-up set…if everyone was just slightly too baked to follow the script.

Copywriting Highlights

Podcast Headline Options:

  • “BigBradWorld and the Art of Getting Too High to Function”

  • “From Doodles to Dab Pens: A Night with Rubezilla”

  • “Sound Effects Guy Carries the Episode (and We're Not Mad)”

Tagline Options Explored:

  • Creative culture. Cannabis. Comedy.

  • A Rooster Original: High Ideas, Higher Guests.

  • Rated R for Rooster (and Really Good Weed).

Shownotes Template I Built:

“Tune in for creative culture, cannabis, and comedy. This week, we talk edible regrets, art that slaps, and how to market your weirdness. Bring snacks.”

Print Tab Copy (Bathroom Companion Section):

“For your most inspirational bathroom moments. We don’t judge. We just entertain.”

Design Work I Loved Most

  • The Headphones Tab: I reimagined the podcast tab to match Rooster’s existing editorial structure, giving it a sleek, modern icon that felt native to print and digital.

  • Sticker Set + THC Wrap Mockup: Gritty, irreverent, and dying to be slapped on a water bottle or dispensary counter.

  • Rated R for Rooster: A visual + verbal stamp we used as a rally cry. It turns people on or off—perfect.

Reflection

Tokes & Jokes was a wild ride in branded chaos. I learned how to:

  • Build a podcast system that bridges digital + print

  • Align voice across raunchy humor and thoughtful structure

  • Write copy that actually makes people laugh (intentionally)

  • Use irreverence as a trust-builder with niche audiences

Key takeaway:
If you want die-hard fans, don’t water down your weird. Roll it up, spark it, and let it speak for itself.