Back to the Start

My choice for most effective ad is Chipotle's animated "Back to the Start" video. Why? Because it makes me cry in less than 30 seconds. I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it. To further explain, the video explores an important, meaningful issue with honesty, simplicity and charm, backed by a beautiful, emotional score. It tells a story that resonates, and positions Chipotle squarely as a company that is creating change in the food industry. Many consumers are troubled by factory farming and the health and safety issues it's created, but aren't sure how to affect change above the individual level. Now we can relax. Chipotle is doing it for us (alright, that was a little sarcastic).

There's more to this ad's story. It's possible that this ad could have been seen by just a few thousand weepy eyes. The company did not promote it, but just placed it on YouTube where it quickly gained steam. Chipotle doesn't use traditional media, but decided that the video had legs. They purchased time in theaters where the 2-minute spot could air in its entirety. People loved it, and they bought time to air it during the Grammys last year. To date the ad has over 7 million views on YouTube. Chipotle's sales increased 23.4% (or $2.26 billion) and their market share increased 2.6% from a $5.8 million spend. Pretty amazing!