Virgin Atlantic has denied claims that it is working with a marijuana beverage company. The cannabis beverage firm went out of their way to try to convince its fans that an agreement had been made to offer its THC-infused beverages to select U.S. passengers.
Drippy’s, which offers drinks that have 10mg each of THC, CBN and CBD, has launched an ad claiming this. They also posted screenshots, which they claimed were from Virgin Atlantic’s CEO.
A company post in social media insisted that the “this was not satire.”
Virgin Atlantic told MEDCAN24 Friday that “this story [was] entirely false” and “the airline does not have a partnership with this brand.”
Contacted about that denial, Drippy told MEDCAN24 that the company has “been purposely vague in our responses because… well, that’s half the fun.”
“There’s no official partnership—we staged the whole thing to make a point: it’s wild that you can slam three vodkas on a flight, but not sip a federally legal drink designed to help you relax and feel more comfortable,” Drippy co-founder Alleh Shondeh Lindquis acknowledged.
“We figured some people might be annoyed they got fooled—but so far, it’s been met with laughs, curiosity, and excitement for the possibility,” he said in an email. It’s certainly turning heads and it is shaping up as the best marketing campaign the cannabis beverage industry has ever seen.
Drippy’s oddly precise posts are a big part of what made the stunt work. As an example, Drippy’s letter shared on X contained a Virgin Atlantic letterhead and included the address of its headquarters, as well as the signature ShaiWeiss, CEO of the airline.
In a letter signed by the Virgin Atlantic CEO, the company states that “flying should not feel like an ordeal but more like fun.” “That’s the reason we’re happy to announce Drippy, the bold and euphoric drink brand that is redefining how to unwind.”
It says that “Starting this month, selected Virgin flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco will include Drippy.” The first cannabis-infused beverage to be served on a flight is Drippy.
Drippy, in an attempt to substantiate this alleged partnership further, posted a screenshot from a message that was sent by Virgin Atlantic’s Vice President of Customer Experiences (VP of CX) to its team of in-flight services.
“We’re taking a big step and we are delighted to announce an innovative addition to our experience on board. Drippy, the cannabis-infused drink, will soon be available in select Virgin domestic flights,” reads the “internal” email. The email states that “you will receive additional product instruction from your manager.”
Daniel Kerzer’s email was signed as vice president for customer experience. Kerzner says on his LinkedIn page that he’s not been employed by Virgin Atlantic since 2020.
Drippy has also produced a video of one minute that promotes the same partnership, which is categorically denied by Air Canada.
The partnership was reported as fact by a select group of media outlets and Drippy social media users.
Anthony Martinelli, The Marijuana Herald, said: “Virgin Atlantic has announced that they will offer THC drinks on selected flights between LA and NY as well as Miami.” Martinelli then quoted a fictional airline statement.
BevNet, a trade magazine, also advertised its reportage on the purported deal.
MEDCAN24 contacted Drippy to ask if the company was concerned about possible legal liabilities for creating the partnership with no disclosure of satirical intentions. However, the company did not respond by the publication date.
Richard Branson has made it clear that he supports the legalization of marijuana and ending the war on drugs.
Steve Fitzgerald provided the image.
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