Tuesday, September 24, 2013

By now, most of you have probably seen Chipotle's new ad since it went viral more than a week ago. With beautiful visuals set to Fiona Apple's haunting cover of "Pure Imagination," it makes for a pretty powerful viewing experience, even if a lot of advertising experts aren't impressed.

Some have wondered if people will even remember the ad is for Chipotle as the Mexican restaurant chain's logo appears for only a second or two at the end of the ad. Others have questioned the manipulative nature of the ad, including this hilarious riff made by Funny or Die. ("And make sure to follow us on Twitter!" is my favorite part.)

Sure, the ad works well for those advocating for free-range methods of food production. But if you're against animal slaughter, the ad doesn't help much since Chipotle obviously carries out such practices to get its meat.

Chipotle came out with a similar ad a few years ago to equally mixed responses, this one featuring Willie Nelson covering Coldplay's "The Scientist" as caged-in farm animals were released to enjoy greener pastures (all before being taken away to be slaughtered, presumably).

Regardless of your opinion on the ad, it's hard to argue with the genius storytelling aspect of the ad. What Chipotle and its ad agency—Texas-based CAA Marketing—have done so well is create an ongoing narrative to their brand: one that immediately conjures up ideas of the restaurant in consumers' heads upon mention.

The story works for some, not for others. But undoubtedly people will walk away from the ad thinking about what they're eating and how they're getting it, even if only for a few moments. After all, bringing the matter to public consciousness is only the first part of consumer interaction. Getting them to act on this belief is an entire other matter that is still yet to be determined.