CHIPOTLE HANDS THE CAMERAS TO 100 CREATORS FOR ITS NEW NATIONAL AD CAMPAIGN

• The next evolution of Behind the Foil was captured entirely by creators, with zero brand-shot footage and no traditional director or production company managing the shoot
• The campaign marks Chief Brand Officer Fernando Machado's first national ad since joining Chipotle and the brand's first major collaboration with new agency partner KIDS

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 31, 2026 - Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) today unveiled the next evolution of its Behind the Foil campaign, built from footage captured by 100 content creators inside Chipotle restaurants. The campaign will appear on national television, TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

During morning prep, creators went behind the line at more than 50 restaurants across the U.S., U.K. and Canada to work alongside crew members preparing all-new Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips, from grilling chicken and seasoning chips to slicing vegetables and hand-mashing guac. Without traditional scripts or shot lists, each creator captured the fresh, hands-on preparation firsthand and in their own style.

Not a second of brand-shot footage appears in the campaign.

100 Creators, 100 Points of View

The work evolves Chipotle's advertising by shifting the point of view from the brand to the people experiencing its kitchens firsthand, while remaining grounded in Chipotle's For Real brand positioning.

"Real today is defined by many voices, not just by what a brand says about itself," said Fernando Machado, Chief Brand Officer at Chipotle. "This is the first time in my career I've made a campaign without knowing exactly what the outcome would be. It takes a lot of trust to give up that control, but there's power in leaving room for the unexpected. We gave 100 creators the freedom to capture what they found compelling and let their perspectives shape the work."

The group extends beyond traditional food creators, with participants including potter Emme Zhou, who created a custom ceramics piece inspired by Chipotle's freshly prepared chips and dips; domino artist Lily Hevesh, who turned the precision of morning prep into one of her signature domino sequences; stop-motion animator Ben Treat, who reimagined the burrito-building process through claymation; and food artist Alissa Teo, who recreated her go-to steak burrito bowl in her signature rice art.

Beginning August 31, the participating creators, who collectively have garnered more than 100 million followers across their social channels, will share their content with their audiences. The work will also extend to Chipotle's social channels and national television to support the launch of Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips.

"We wanted to take the visual language people experience every day in their social feeds and bring it to national television without polishing away what makes it feel credible," said Icaro Doria, Founder and Chief Creative Officer at KIDS. "The goal was to preserve what made each creator's footage distinctive, rather than make it conform to the conventions of a traditional commercial."

100 Creators by the Numbers

• 100 creators
• 50+ restaurants
• 345 hours of footage captured
• 100M+ followers in aggregate across all social channels

Watch the ads below:

Chipotle's Evolving Creative Roster

The campaign marks Chipotle's first major collaboration with new agency partner KIDS, which developed the creative strategy and work supporting Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips.

About Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. There are over 4,200 restaurants as of June 30, 2026, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Middle East and it is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants in the United States, Canada and Europe. With nearly 140,000 employees passionate about providing a great guest experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business practices. For more information or to place an order online, visit www.chipotle.com.