They say the medium can be the message. If that's the case, then here's a brand that really gets it.
You may have heard that festival goers at Hempfest in Seattle are getting free bags of Doritos Nacho Cheese flavor with a special message on the back of the bags. The State of Washington has legalized marijuana use, but there are still rules of engagement that participants need to understand. Hence the message on the back of the bags, instructing on the proper usage of legal marijuana at the festival.
Now the brilliant part here is that Doritos has long been associated with the munchies that supposedly comes from, well, smoking marijuana. By using a familiar part of the "culture," the message is more likely to be heard, and followed. In this case, the messenger is just as important as the message itself.
The irony here is that this was not Doritos decision ... it was conceived and executed by the Seattle Police Department. Evidently there was a lot of thought into the choice of the brand and in fact the choice of the flavor as well, coming from a true knowledge of the audience. In this case, the Seattle Police have a fundamental understanding of the folks that go to Hempfest, and hence a fundamental way to connect emotionally with them. And motivate them to action.
Now that's a "brand" that gets it.