Chipotle: “Back to the Start”

Michelle LeBrun

Out of the countless places to get food in Champaign, Illinois, Chipotle will always be my absolute favorite. I cannot go a week without getting my favorite brown rice, chicken, lettuce, cheese and guacamole bowl. In 2011 Chipotle launched, “Back to the Start”, a loyalty program that rewarded customers who had an understanding of food industry issues. This program was never intended to be an ad campaign but ended up making the screens of millions of people. It aired in thousands of movie theaters and even the 2021 Grammy Awards. This campaign features a short two minute animated clip of sustainable farming.

The beginning scene is very upbeat and features a happy farmer and his adorable family. It then transforms into a dark city when exhibiting factory farming. The animals in the factory are slaughtered, and it is absolutely devastating. The farmer goes back to realizing how much he misses his animals, and everything natural farming had given him to protect the earth, our health and livelihood. He changes his life around to tear down buildings and bring back the animals to roam free. The purpose of this clip is aimed at educating the audience that natural farming is better for everyone. It informs viewers on the tough subject of industrial farming in a unique way that captures the attention of all viewers.