Controversial Marketing Campaign

It’s a sad day indeed when companies who depend on our nation’s farmers to supply them with their inventory start throwing those same farmers “under the bus” to protect their own skin. I’m referring to the fast growing restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill that’s created a four part comedy series running on Hulu called “Farmed and Dangerous”, which portrays modern farmers as evil mad scientist types bent on exploiting and torturing the animals under their care. Chipotle says this type of stealth marketing strategy isn’t about products but about values and sustainable agriculture. Well, that sure sounds nice in print. In reality though, it’s probably more about protecting itself from such groups as the HSUS who have given other companies such as McDonald’s all kinds of grief. Interestingly, if you look closely at Chipotle’s not so distant past you would find that McDonald’s had a controlling stake in the company clear up until 2006. So, like a child trying to distance themselves from the supposed sins of a parent, Chipotle’s newest unconventional marketing strategy isn’t about “product integration” or “values integration”; it’s really about self-preservation.