chipotle — international creative brief

context

chipotle is different — and the company knows it

$10.5m raised in support of racial justice, real food access and community empowerment
$5k 'seed grants' to fifty young farmers every year
50% of chipotle's waste stays out of landfills
marnie henziak, regional brand manager: 'the more we grow, the more good we can do in the world.'

audience truth

the things chipotle cares about matter to their audience

1.5× more likely to educate themselves about sustainability
74% of consumers feel food brands should be more transparent about farming practices
affluent, eco-conscious — but skeptical of sustainability claims that 'try too hard'

the challenge

the bar for belief has gotten higher

88% of consumers don't immediately trust brands that say they're 'sustainable' (genomatica)
71% say companies claim to be eco-friendly even when their actions aren't (onepoll)
chipotle has cleared the bar before with emotional long-form films — but hasn't delivered the same magic consistently

the job to be done

fill hearts with belief — without forgetting stomachs

chris brandt, cmo: 'i don't need people to know all this stuff. i just need them to feel we're different in their hearts.' getting there isn't about filling heads with facts — it's about filling hearts with belief.

the core brief

craveable food you believe is better

'the better food is raised and prepared, the better it tastes.' better for you · better for the earth · better for farmers · better for workers.

tone

make a serious difference without being serious

many brands leaned grim — audiences are exhausted by self-seriousness and greenwashing
50% of the audience believes overused greenwashing statements aren't backed by evidence
62% want to collaborate with brands on issues like racism, climate and inequality
audiences gravitate to brands that lead in a playful, swaggery, human way (oatly, liquid death)
serve big bowls of optimism, chunks of inclusive energy, a sprinkling of well-observed humor and a giant dollop of cultural fun

territory 1

reclaim leadership — 'for real. for real.'

when 'back to the start' dropped, real, sustainable food from a fast-casual restaurant was a game-changer — 400m+ earned media impressions and 2× cannes lions grand prix. a decade later, competitors have caught up with real-washing. reclaim leadership by setting a new, higher bar for realness — with brick-to-forehead clarity that separates chipotle from the pretenders.

territory 2

rally the community — gather the true believers of real

this is the age of fandom — swifties, beliebers, iphone loyalists, anime lovers. netflix divides its 93m users into 1,300 taste communities. chipotle's audience is broad and diverse — what unites them is love of real food. it's time to gather the crew, the collective, the cult — those with taste who can taste the difference and want to do good by the planet and their taste buds.

how territories evaluate

speak to their inner lisa, satisfy their inner homer, turn skeptics into believers

reminds people of the work chipotle does to cultivate a better world
makes people crave the food
overcomes their bs radar and makes them feel something