Chipotle, the renowned Mexican fast-casual chain, is shaking up its advertising strategy with a novel approach that places content creators at the heart of its new campaign. Dubbed “Behind the Foil,” this fresh initiative is the first national advertising push spearheaded by the brand’s new Chief Brand Officer, Fernando Machado, in collaboration with their first major agency partner, Kids.
Creator-Led Campaign: A New Approach
The “Behind the Foil” campaign, launched this summer, takes a unique approach by featuring a large ensemble of creators rather than relying on a single influencer or celebrity. This collective includes over 100 creators who participated in the campaign, visiting more than 50 Chipotle locations across the U.S., U.K., and Canada. The sheer scale of this endeavor resulted in over 300 hours of footage, capturing the genuine, unscripted experiences of these creators as they looked into the food preparation process.
Fernando Machado, who joined Chipotle in June, brings a wealth of experience from his previous role at Restaurant Brands International. His philosophy about branding aligns perfectly with this campaign: “Real today is defined by many voices, not just what a brand says about itself.” This approach marks a departure from Chipotle’s previous strategy of working with single creators on customized meals or promotions. Instead, it adopts the power of collective narratives, allowing the authentic voices of these creators to shape the campaign’s messaging.
Fresh Food Focus: Timely and Transparent
The campaign emphasizes the freshness of Chipotle’s ingredients, a timely message given the recent foodborne illness scares in the restaurant industry. This focus on freshness is particularly relevant as Chipotle rolls out its new Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips simultaneously. The use of creator content in this campaign also aligns with Chipotle’s ongoing commitment to transparency and real ingredients, as demonstrated by its “Behind the Foil” platform launched in 2019.
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The campaign features a striking visual of creators in unison saying “fresh,” accompanied by commentary like “Chipotle is gatekeeping nothing.” This approach deviates from traditional advertising methods, as no brand-shot footage was used in the final product. Instead, it relies on the raw, authentic footage captured by the creators themselves.
Chipotle’s decision to expand its “Behind the Foil” platform with this creator-led campaign is strategic. It seeks to solidify the brand’s positioning in the face of industry challenges, particularly during a summer marked by foodborne illness scares. By leveraging the collective audience of the 100 creators involved, which tops 100 million followers, Chipotle gains a potentially wide social reach.
Some creators took innovative approaches to the kitchen prep concept. Ben Treat, a stop-motion animation specialist, will bring the burrito-building process to life through claymation. Meanwhile, potter Emme Zhou is crafting custom, Chipotle-inspired ceramics pieces. These unique interpretations of the campaign’s theme will be promoted through individual creators’ channels and across short-form video platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
Chipotle’s “Behind the Foil” platform, which launched in 2019, uses documentary-style marketing and employee testimonials to show the brand’s commitment to transparency and real ingredients. This latest campaign is an extension of that platform, designed to reinforce Chipotle’s positioning during a challenging time for the restaurant industry. The campaign’s success can be attributed to its blend of authenticity, innovation, and strategic timing.