At it Again: Chipotle, Activision and the "Tony Hawk Burrito"

There are certain brands that I find myself writing about again and again. And it’s with good reason. They’re the brands that have embraced the playbook as only a loose outline and continue to read and react to the market. Chipotle is one of those brands.

The “burrito-maker” has been doing the newsdrafting, culture-jacking, and partnership-and-promo thing better than most for the past few years. They’ve also been laser-focused on a younger audience, and it shows through in everything from Diplo DJ sets on the brand’s owned Twitch channel to its latest splash around avocado-pit-dyed apparel.

Now, they’re at again…with Tony Hawk, Activision and gaming.

It’s all so beautiful and, as always, deftly yields a gentle PR slight-of-hand.

At its most basic, Chipotle is working with Tony Hawk and Activision to co-promote remastered versions of Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 games. They will offer fans an early chance to get a game demo with the purchase of a “Tony Hawk Burrito,” an item that will be added to the menu timed with a company Twitch event to celebrate the Chipotle/Activision partnership on August 14th.

My favorite part of it all? Does the Tony Hawk burrito feature a new exotic bean? A limited edition salsa inspired by the legendary skater himself? A gluten-free, multigrain tortilla? Nah, not really. As UPRX accurately captures in its story…

To be completely transparent here, the ‘Tony Hawk burrito’ isn’t exactly a custom menu item. It just seems to be his order at Chipotle: a chicken burrito with brown rice, black beans, mild salsa and guac.

How’s that for PR-ing? Package up existing stuff. Create a press-ready photo. Drive folks to your existing channels. Tie in purchase to something coveted. Manufacture urgency. Oh yea, and generate headlines like this from SI: ”Tony Hawk is a Delicious Chipotle Burrito Now.”

Well-executed, Chipotle.