By Ed Cleary, Publisher
Last week my family celebrated my youngest son’s 16th birthday. As a rite of passage here in the state of PA, we took him to get his driver’s permit. He passed. We had some time for a short lunch before he had to get back to school. His favorite place for lunch is Chipotle. Chipotle continues to be a big hit with teenagers, and I have to admit that I really enjoy the chain as well. Chipotle’s message and menu is simple: Serve high-quality, delicious food quickly with an experience that not only exceeds, but redefines the typical fast food experience. I really value the fact that they source local organic produce and they are focused on sustainability. The food tastes pretty good, too!
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As we sat down to lunch, I noticed on my 16-oz. promotion cup, Farmed and Dangerous now playing, “a bumper crop of lies and deceit.” Being in the content marketing business, I was intrigued at the concept that this was more than just a video, it was a full blown four -part mini-series produced by Chipotle. I decided to give it a view to see how Chipotle would exactly pull this off.
The made-for-TV quality mini-series is very entertaining as it takes shots at the unsustainable industrial food business, as well as some of its closest competition. Content is king in any business, and Chipotle did not spare on the production or length. Each of the four episodes runs 20 minutes each. I am not sure if the average burrito consumer is going to invest that much time viewing all the episodes. Even though the Chipotle brand is never mentioned in the series, the theme hits home: What Chipotle is doing as a restaurant chain is not only good for you but it also is good for the environment.
Farmed and Dangerous has been out for about seven weeks now and there is not a clear indication if the series is actually helping the brand. The series can be viewed for free on Hulu.
I enjoyed the content and production, and I invite you to check out the series and post your comments here.
