Chipotle Mexican Grill launched “Spot the Imposter,” an online game designed to support its milestone achievement of becoming the only national restaurant brand without added colors, flavors or preservatives—artificial or natural—in any of the ingredients it uses to prepare its food (except for lemon and lime juice which can be used as preservatives, though the company uses them only for taste).
To play the game, users search through Chipotle’s 51 real ingredients hunting for commonly used industrial additives—including added flavors, colors, preservatives, gluten and gums—masquerading as real ingredients. Successful players are rewarded with a mobile offer good for a free order of chips and guacamole, with purchase of an entrée, at any Chipotle in the U.S., and a chance to enter the sweepstakes to win other food prizes.
“At Chipotle, our real ingredients have nothing to hide,” says Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing and development officer at Chipotle. “Other restaurants are trying to make their ingredients sound better by switching artificial colors, flavors and preservatives for friendlier sounding additives that serve the same purpose. Our food is made entirely with real ingredients that consumers easily recognize—the kinds of ingredients you can buy yourself at a farmers’ market or grocery store. This new game encourages customers to learn about what’s real in their food and what’s not, while reinforcing our commitment to high-quality ingredients.”
“Spot the Imposter” can be played starting April 3 and ending April 7. Spotting the hidden imposter ingredient earns the player the mobile offer while supplies last. Successful players are also entered to win Burritos for a Year or Dinner for 10. As an added element, a new hidden imposter ingredient will be released at 9 a.m. each day of the contest so users can come back each day to find the new hidden imposter ingredient. Each day the customer plays and spots the imposter, they can receive an additional sweeps entry. Up to five sweepstakes entries (one per day) will be allowed per person with sweeps winners getting free Burritos for a Year or Dinner for 10. There is a limit of one free chips and guac offer, with entrée purchase, per person, per mobile number, with all offers expiring April 30.
The company’s statements that it uses no added colors, flavors or preservatives apply only to Chipotle branded restaurants operating within the U.S., and only to the ingredients used to prepare food and not to ingredients used in the beverages sold at Chipotle.
