Campaign Review: Chipotle's "The Scarecrow"

In 2013, Chipotle Mexican Grill became the first restaurant chain to indicate which items on its menu contain genetically modified organisms (GMO), part of a long-term mission to eliminate all GMO items from its menu. Chipotle launched an integrated marketing campaign called "GMO-Free" to spread the news of this change. The "big idea" behind the campaign was for Chipotle to leverage itself as a "step above" fast-food by being a leader in the GMO-free movement and being transparent about what is in their food. This "big idea" came from Chipotle's market research on consumers' food preferences and eating habits. Chipotle recognized that standards are changing and that there is substantial debate about genetically modified foods. Chipotle took a dynamic approach to assuage any consumer concerns as a leader in an industry-wide drive to eliminate GMOs from food.

Chipotle developed and released a three-minute animated short video called "The Scarecrow" that depicts the food industry's harsh realities as part of its integrated marketing campaign. Although an advertisement, the film told a story using an emotional appeal to both scare and motivate consumers to change their attitudes and behaviors to "cultivate a better world." In the video, Chipotle positions itself as the scarecrow who is on a journey to cultivate a better world. Accompanying the animated ad was "The Scarecrow" app for iPhone, iPod, and iPad, set in a dystopian fantasy world where users accompany the scarecrow on his journey to bring real, fresh food to the people. After completing all four game levels, users are rewarded with a "Buy One Get One Free" coupon for a menu item of their choice. In partnership with Loomstate, Chipotle launched a line of responsibly sourced apparel and gear representing their "joint commitment to environmental and social sustainability." In tune with its GMO-Free mission, shortly after the campaign's launch, Chipotle endorsed I-5222 — Washington's proposed GMO labeling law on September 19, in turn promoting their food and the way they do business.

The "news hook" of Chipotle's "The Scarecrow" campaign is the same as its mission statement: "Food With Integrity." Journalists and the general public want to know what is in their food and where it is coming from. Knowing this fact, Chipotle took advantage of the opportunity to position itself as a restaurant that strives for convenience without compromising quality. As the first in the industry to indicate which menu items contain GMOs, Chipotle's announcement and campaign were newsworthy.

While the short video was award-winning, there were missteps in the campaign's development and delivery as Chipotle did not follow various Issues Management and Crisis Management principles. Firstly, Chipotle did not prepare for the unexpected as app users associated the cute animated cows and chickens with the steak and chicken burrito they would order at the restaurant. It is not until the end of the video that viewers know it is a Chipotle ad, leaving many who do not finish it assuming it is a pro-vegetarian ad. Further, rather than establishing relationships early, Chipotle made enemies to make sales as "The Scarecrow" video received tremendous backlash from others in the food industry. Chipotle also failed to gain any form of a third-party endorsement and forewent any third-party protocol to confirm its GMO-Free process, which left consumers wondering whether they can believe Chipotle's claims. Also, Chipotle's failure to communicate that its transition to indicating GMO-Free foods on its menu did not mean that all menu items were GMO-Free, as this complete alteration did not come until two years later in 2015. The poor communication accompanying the campaign led to lawsuits and backlash from activist groups and the public. Chipotle's lack of transparency in communicating the changes to its menu left consumers with no reason to believe they were actually made.