CHIPOTLE: Beyond the Burrito

     Chipotle put its stamp on the food movement when they released a short advert film last September. The film, called "The Scarecrow", is a phenomenal piece of animation accompanied by a classic "Pure Imagination" cover by Fiona Apple.
     The film conveyed Chipotle's strong position on anti-factory-farming as well as its passionate use of real vegetables and beef in its restaurants. The three-and-a-half-minute film (see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSE) absorbed audiences and was blasted on social media. Currently it has over 12 million views on YouTube. It's one of the greatest pieces of advertising I've ever seen.

     Nonetheless, it's advertising. At the end of the film there's fifteen seconds set aside to promote Chipotle's new game app, appropriately based on "The Scarecrow". The last fifteen seconds completely change the sympathetic feelings of the audience to indifferent or off-put. Yet, the resonating message of anti-factory-farming still holds stronger than the underlying commercial efforts of Chipotle.
     Chipotle's ad goes back to our lesson on taking advantage of cultural movements and the authenticity in commercialism. FunnyOrDie.com takes a stab at Chipotle by revealing the irony behind its commercial (see here: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/da66b8f1aa/honest-scarecrow). The question remains for the individual: Is Chipotle really passionate about the food movement, or is it just another corporate marketing tactic playing for profits?

     As a student of advertising, I'm very passionate about my field. I love the rhetoric involved in advertising; the way companies and their brands capture the consumer. It's a game. At the end of the day, it is for promotion and profits. However so, as a hopeful, empowered woman in the industry, I think it's important to show the audience, make them aware of the company's message or movements,  then to prove it.

Maybe Chipotle is proving its authenticity. I'd have to experience it first-hand to make a decision. Does anyone want to get a burrito?!?!