Cannes Lions

Chipotle Campaign - As Real As It Gets: "Nervous"

VENABLES BELL & PARTNERS, San Francisco / CHIPOTLE / 2017

Film

Overview

Entries

Credits

Overview

Description

We wanted Chipotle to stand for being “As Real As It Gets”. Not just when it comes to food, but also when it comes to culture.

It is a campaign that celebrates candor, transparency, and honesty in ways that are self-aware and self-deprecating. In these films, a larger than life Chipotle Burrito is used as a metaphor that represents ‘all things real’. This burrito serves as a confessional to visitors— a safe space where people can enter to confess their thoughts, fears, and secrets.

Upon entering the surprisingly large and sophisticated space, our guests are greeted by a piano player and an all-knowing voice from above who acts as their guide to help them get honest with themselves. The voice of this self-trained, malevolent therapist is played by Jeffrey Tambor.

Execution

In these films, three different comedians enter the burrito and are encouraged by the voice of the burrito to be real and get honest with themselves. The voice is played by Jeffrey Tambor, who serves as a shrewd, self-trained and Machiavellian therapist who guides each guest to confess their secrets. In the first film, actress Jillian Bell confesses that she has a thing for musicians. Just not all musicians. In the second film, the voice urges Veep’s Sam Richardson to be forthcoming about a neurotic habit. Next, the voice of the burrito is less than helpful with comedian John Mulaney in suggesting alternate titles for Mulaney’s upcoming book. And the final film features Jillian Bell getting a little too real about a childhood memory of the ocean.

Outcome

We are just 15 days into the campaign but the reactions so far have been very positive.

On the latest earning calls with Wall Street analysts, the CMO declared the campaign to be a “playful and humorous effort aimed at rebuilding the brand narrative and stressed that it is considered a brand building effort”

The national TV launch is the first time Chipotle has engaged in significant broadcast campaign. The sales figures are a closely guarded financial secret at this point (until the next quarterly earns report) but the share price has rebounded and is trading at a 52-week high.

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