Chipotle - For Real

We didn’t just grow the business. We built a brand. When the two of us first started working on Chipotle, the existing client was still shell shocked from the foodborne illness issue. In fact, they didn’t even want to talk about the one thing that differentiates the brand- real food. So when the new marketers came on we saw an opportunity to go all in on what makes Chipotle, Chipotle. Real food made, by real people, in real kitchens. So we wrote them a new tagline, that would serve as the mission statement and bring back consumer confidence by leaning into what Chipotle does better than anyone else. While growing the brand from $4B to $12B over past 8 years, including digital sales growth of +$3B and over 50% growth in the customer base. For Real.

Case Study

Behind the Foil TV - Directed by Errol Morris

On our very first tour of a Chipotle kitchen, store manager Vicky said something that caught our attention. “I wish people knew what we did here every day. This is a real kitchen”. That would become the central idea of our first campaign. With Academy Award director, Errol Morris we set out to make the ultimate anti-advertising campaign. No gimmicks. No shouting. No celebrity spokespeople. Just actual employees telling the world how Chipotle works.  The work’s, quiet, raw, and disruptive tone became the highest historical performing campaign to date.

An Avocado Journey

It takes an avocado tree 13 years before it bears a single avo. This patience is a nice metaphor for a brand with a focus on the right way, not the fastest way.