Chipotle Mexican Grill, an official partner of US Soccer’s men’s and women’s teams leveraged its USWNT tie-up around the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup through the latest iteration of its ‘Real Ingredients for Real Athletes’ campaign starring striker Sophia Smith.
Created in partnership with agencies Paragon Marketing and Venables Bell + Partners (VB+P), the ongoing sports-led platform highlights exceptional athletes and key ingredients that fuel their journeys and this latest wave of work distils an athlete’s life story down to its most important ingredients – the ones that have fuelled them forward and been integral to their journeys.
The latest spot, titled ‘ Sophia Smith Unwrapped – Constant Ingredient’, features the young USWNT striker and Chipotle fan Sophia Smith. Dropping from 6 July, ahead of the tournament’s 20 July kick-off, the creative highlights how Chipotle’s real food has fuelled her through the highlights, setbacks, and comebacks of her incredible career.
The brand and agency team collaborated with music director Colin Tilley and drone pilot Alex Vanover to create an energetic ad showcasing Smith charging down the football pitch – dribbling, jinking and scoring – set alongside an internal monologue listing off the key ingredients that have brought her to this moment and soccer’s biggest world stage.
The hero spot rolled out in conjunction with a set of Women’s World Cup related brand initiatives: including the return of ‘Chipotle’s Bowls For Goals’ program, new soccer themed menu items and the launch of a new content series.
The client brand was Chipotle where the team that commissioned the campaign included Chief Marketing Officer Chris Brandt, Brand Manager Stephanie Perdue, Creative Director Shelley Sheppard, Brand Manager Scott Robinson, Marketing Manager Michael Kotick and Creative Bianca Pettinicchi.
One agency on the campaign was Paragon Marketing where the group working on the project included Vice President Brad Smith, Account Executive Michael Socks and Coordinator Jessica Sauzameda.
There other creative agency was Venables Bell + Partners where the team was led by Executive Producer Dennis McKinley, Producer Sam Tarde, Brand Director Kristin Obi, Brand Manager Alyssa Gaio, Chief Creative Officer Will McGinness, Creative Directors James Duffy and Greg Coffin, Art Director Diego Zelaya, Copywriter Michael Ng, Business Affairs Manager Christine Tom and Strategist Jonah Kaufman.
Production was handled by London Alley with Director Colin Tilley, Executive Producers Matthew Kauth and Jade Forte, Line Producer Lisa Arianna and Director Of Photography Brendan Uegama.
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This campaign is part of Chipotle’s umbrella sports strategy which seeks to drive awareness of its real ingredients and customizable menu options and how these provide athletes of all levels with great tasting meals that fit into their specific lifestyle.
Developed with agency Paragon, this strategy spans a fully integrated program featuring several sports partnerships with governing bodies like USA Hockey, US Soccer, and US Youth Soccer, as well as athlete ambassador tie-ups with brand enthusiasts such as Christian Pulisic, Julie and Zach Ertz, Jack Hughes, Kendall Coyne-Schoffield, and Sabrina Ionescu.
Chipotle primarily activates these partnerships through entitled annual events, digital media, consumer promotions, and targeted social campaigns providing the brand with year-around engagement with athletes and sports fans.
Previous Chipotle campaigns activating the quick service outfit’s partnership with US Soccer have included its ‘Real Food For Real Athletes’ work with the USMNT around the Qatar 2022 Men’s World Cup, its 2022 mixed reality, on-ice, in-game ‘Chipotle-branded Zamboni’ initiative with the Colorado Avalanche and its ongoing ‘Unwrapped’ series which began in 2021 to leverage the Olympic Games.
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