New Chipotle Ad Takes On Factory Farming
Chipotle has released its second short film/ad as part of its Cultivate Foundation and Food With Integrity project. The viral video encourages consumers to think long and hard about where their food comes from.
In the first Chipotle film, veteran farmer advocate and president of Farm Aid, Willie Nelson, sang a compelling version of Coldplay’s “The Scientist,” reinforcing the ad’s strong anti-industrial farming message.
In the company’s latest film, a scarecrow goes to work for a huge industrial food operation with a robot crow sitting on his shoulder, watching his every move. Viewers learn that the Scarecrow’s job is no longer about protecting the food. He’s become just a cog in the industrial food machine, and he becomes disillusioned as he sees consumers eating “beef-ish” products, chickens being injected with drugs to make them bigger, and cows kept in crates where they can’t move. When he goes home to his modest homestead, he finds a single red pepper (the Chipotle logo) growing in a land otherwise barren of fresh food. He has a change of heart and starts preparing fresh food for the consumers.
The video—which will definitely make you have guilty thoughts about any chicken nuggets or “beef-ish” products you may have consumed recently—is made all the more poignent by the haunting sounds of Fiona Apple singing, “Pure Imagination,” originally from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
If the sad scarecrow, the cow’s big sad eyes, and the confused, over-inflated chicken in the film weren’t enough to convince you to rethink your food choices, Chipotle is releasing a game for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch also called The Scarecrow.
“The Scarecrow needs your help to foil the evil plans of Crow Foods and break the crows‘ monopoly on food production and supply in the city of Plenty,” explains the game website. Tilt your device to navigate through each level, outsmart the Crowbots, unlock extras, and restore hope for animals, farms, and the environment, while providing the citizens of Plenty a healthy and delicious alternative.”
As you play the game, you can unlock buy one, get one free coupons for free food at Chipotle.
Chipotle has led the charge for restaurants to support sustainable farming practices, featuring natural meats, local produce, pasture-raised dairy, and at least labeling GMOs on its menu.
The game and video are truly beautiful—and hopefully effective in changing some minds about factory farming.
Image via YouTube
