In a bold move that blends culinary creativity with social commentary, HELL Pizza and advertising agency Yarn have launched the "Doobious" pizza—a product that comes with its own custom herb grinder and a baggie of dried sage and oregano. The campaign, which includes a striking hydroponic installation on Auckland’s iconic Karangahape Road (K Road), aims to challenge the lingering stigma around cannabis use in New Zealand, even as medicinal use becomes more widespread.
The Doobious pizza is not just a meal; it’s a statement. Topped with free-range pulled pork, crispy onion rings, and a tangy BBQ and chipotle sauce, the pizza is designed to be sprinkled with freshly ground herbs from the included baggie. The custom grinder, limited to 5,000 units, sold out within a single weekend, and sales of the pizza have already hit record highs.
Matt Sellars, co-executive creative director and partner at Yarn, explained that the idea for Doobious emerged from HELL’s new brand platform. "A pizza that comes with a herb grinder was one of those ideas that made it onto the agency wall, but the timing wasn’t quite right," Sellars said. "A few months later, the stars aligned. The HELL team was excited about creating a pizza that would pair perfectly with dried herbs, and we saw an opportunity to tap into the country’s cannabis culture."
To generate buzz, Yarn and HELL erected a large hydroponic installation on K Road, a street known for its vibrant, sometimes edgy, culture. The installation, fitted with UV lighting, reflective film, and rows of herbs, quickly became a visual spectacle, drawing attention from passersby and sparking conversations online.
The campaign arrives at a time when New Zealand’s relationship with cannabis is evolving. In 2020, the country narrowly voted against legalizing recreational cannabis, but medicinal use has since surged. However, stigma persists. Josh Drake, CEO of HELL Pizza, noted, "Five years ago, Kiwis narrowly voted ‘no’ to legalizing cannabis. Since then, medicinal use has skyrocketed, but many people still hide their use because we don’t know how to talk about it."
Drake added that the Doobious pizza is meant to highlight the disconnect between the legal status of medicinal cannabis and the challenges users face, such as high costs and limited access. "People use cannabis to manage everything from chemotherapy side effects to insomnia, but those who buy it illegally do so because prescription products are out of reach," he said.
The Doobious campaign follows other recent efforts to normalize cannabis use in New Zealand, such as ABEL’s July installation for the Cannabis Clinic. By combining humor, bold visuals, and a product that directly references cannabis culture, HELL and Yarn hope to kickstart a much-needed conversation about the plant’s place in society.
The Doobious pizza is available now, with a double size priced at $28.50 and a snack size at $15, until supplies last.
