• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea

2

Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983

3

Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?

1

CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea

2

Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983

3

Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
Retail

Chipotle Leans On Comedy For Biggest Ad Campaign Yet

By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 10, 2017, 9:30 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Despite a rough 2016, Chipotle has maintained its sense of humor.

Its latest ad campaign, dubbed “As Real as It Gets”, features performances by four comedians in a bid to lure back diners via humor after a food-safety inspired exodus led to a prolonged sales slump. The ad campaign, which launched Monday, is the largest Chipotle has ever undertaken with media buys planned for national TV spots, online/social, print and radio. The majority of the planned spending will be for national TV.

“We’ve always been a brand that has had a well developed voice and a lot of that is based on humor,” Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing and development officer, told Fortune in an interview. “We have created these ads to reinforce the brand’s personality.”

The ad campaign, which features comedians like John Mulaney and a voiceover performance by actor Jeffrey Tambor, shows three comedians separately stepping into a massive burrito where “everything is real.” The comedians tell jokes, talk about their fictional husbands, and are essentially not acting real. Tambor (never seen in the spot) says they should be more “real” like Chipotle. The company’s marketing team is hopeful that viewers will enjoy the jokes—but also make the connection that the brand is a truthful one.

Chipotle has spent roughly a year and a half aiming to get control of the once-pristine image it had cultivated as a fast-casual purveyor that sold fresh ingredients that were tasty and healthier than rival fast-food fare. But management was criticized for bungling a response to the prolonged food-safety crisis that started in the fall of 2015, resulting in a 13% drop in sales for 2016. That was the first annual sales decline since Chipotle went public over a decade ago.

“During the events of late 2015 and 2016, our carefully crafted brand narrative was unfortunately replaced with talk about food safety,” Crumpacker said. “When customers talk about Chipotle, it is easy for them to say ‘Oh yeah, did you hear about the food safety issues?’ It is important as a brand to replace that narrative with our intended brand narrative.”

That intentional campaign is one that Chipotle says is based on humor and honesty. The tagline, “As Real as it Gets,” is a link to the chain’s recent announcement that the company doesn’t use any added colors, flavors or preservatives to prepare its food. That ingredient update represents the work the company put into removing additives and preservatives from tortillas used to make burritos, tacos and chips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JECmSXz4nFE&feature=youtu.be

Throughout 2016, Chipotle relied on summer rewards program and a handful of other short-term promotions to try to lure back diners that were turned off by the food safety headlines. It ultimately wasn’t enough—traffic and sales slipped throughout the year, with trends only dramatically improving in December.

The company still intends to use promotions this year to help boost sales, but the national ad campaign will also likely be an important factor if Chipotle wants to deliver the “high-single digits” increase in sales at comparable restaurants that management has promised Wall Street for 2017.

Historically, Chipotle had spent between 1.5% to 1.6% of sales on marketing. This year, it will be around 3% when factoring in promotions and ad spending. Chipotle says the industry average is around 6% to 7% of sales, so it still is more judicious than many rivals. “But if we see results we like, we aren’t going to hesitate to spend more,” Crumpacker said, an indication more ad buying could occur if the campaign is a hit.

By hiring actor-comedians like Sam Richardson and Jillian Bell, Chipotle says it is doing something different how many other national restaurant chains advertise. Many ads tend to focus on limited-time offers or talk about how fresh the food is. “We aren’t doing either of those things,” Crumpacker said. “We are talking about real ingredients but doing it through a metaphor of being honest.” In fact, very few images of the food appears in Chipotle’s TV ads.

Sandwiched between the two traditional ad campaigns that are planned for this spring and fall, Chipotle is also cooking up some non-traditional advertising this summer. Those plans haven’t been disclosed, though as a reminder, last summer it launched a four-minute short film called “A Love Story” to coincide with the launch of a summer rewards program.

About the Author
By John KellContributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence

John Kell is a contributing writer for Fortune and author of Fortune’s CIO Intelligence newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

Gina Rinehart
InvestingSpaceX
Australia’s richest person just bought a SpaceX stake worth more than $1 billion. ‘Elon has done what very few people in history have done’
By Jacqueline MunisJune 15, 2026
2 hours ago
Why Patagonia is risking its progressive brand image with a lawsuit against a drag queen
RetailEnvironment
Why Patagonia is risking its progressive brand image with a lawsuit against a drag queen
By Phil WahbaJune 15, 2026
7 hours ago
gene
Arts & EntertainmentObituary
Gene Shalit, who made film criticism a television institution, dies at 100
By Mark Kennedy and The Associated PressJune 15, 2026
10 hours ago
target
HealthRecalls
FDA recalls Nara Organics baby formula after infant botulism cases in 3 states
By The Associated PressJune 15, 2026
10 hours ago
korea
RetailStarbucks
Starbucks Korea called a tumbler ‘SS Tank’ on a military anniversary. Now every store is closing early
By Kim Tong-Hyung and The Associated PressJune 15, 2026
10 hours ago
‘There simply isn’t enough product for the U.S. customer’: GLP-1 craze eats whey too much protein
RetailFood and drink
‘There simply isn’t enough product for the U.S. customer’: GLP-1 craze eats whey too much protein
By Dee-Ann Durbin and The Associated PressJune 14, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea
Success
CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea
By Preston ForeJune 13, 2026
3 days ago
Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983
Personal Finance
Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983
By John W. Diamond and The ConversationJune 12, 2026
3 days ago
Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
Economy
Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
By Nick LichtenbergJune 14, 2026
1 day ago
Iran proved it can close the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. is advertising very loudly that the world's top superpower can at least punch open a hole
Energy
Iran proved it can close the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. is advertising very loudly that the world's top superpower can at least punch open a hole
By Jason MaJune 14, 2026
1 day ago
SpaceX surge further boosts Saudi billionaire prince’s fortune
Investing
SpaceX surge further boosts Saudi billionaire prince’s fortune
By Adveith Nair and BloombergJune 14, 2026
1 day ago
AI job disruption is here. The problem may be compounded because nearly 75% of people don't apply for unemployment benefits
AI
AI job disruption is here. The problem may be compounded because nearly 75% of people don't apply for unemployment benefits
By Jacqueline MunisJune 14, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.