Tag Archives: bogo

And what a beautiful morning it is – BOGO Chipotle, ya’ll.

Chipotle

Friend or Faux is Chipotle’s latest marketing campaign. It’s a game designed to let customers learn about the difference between Chipotle’s ingredients & the ones commonly used in other fast food chains.

You can choose your favorite Chipotle menu item and another fast food chain item. You then get quizzed on ~20 ingredients and you have to choose which restaurant contains X ingredient. There are no penalties for getting answers incorrect – it’s simply a learning experience. At the end of the quiz, you get to see your score and a complete breakdown of the ingredients in each menu item. The value is here. It’s wildly jarring to see 100% “friendly ingredients” in Chipotle and not only less “friendly ingredients” in other fast food restaurants but also over 50% “faux ingredients”.

Wondering what classifies as a “faux ingredient”? Here’s some in a “bean burrito” from a “fast food chain” – I think we can all guess which.

• Artificial Flavor – A chemical mixture that mimics a natural flavor but is derived from synthetic sources, rather than natural sources like plants or animals.
• Caramel Color – Food coloring. Brown-colored substance made by heating sugar of any type (for example, corn syrup). Can be processed with ammonia and sulfur to intensify color. Used to intensify brown color in foods like beer, bread, buns, chocolate, cookies, coatings, desserts, gravy, pancakes, sauces, soft drinks (especially colas), and alcoholic beverages.
  [Adapted from AN A-Z GUIDE TO FOOD ADDITIVES © 2009 by Deanna M. Minich, Ph.D. Published by Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.]
• Gelatin – Emulsifier, gelling agent, stabilizer, and thickener. Protein extracted by heating collagen found in bones, hide, hooves, connective tissues, and organs of animals (pigs, cows, fish, horses). Found in dry gelatin desserts, sausage casings, ice cream, and beverages.
  [Adapted from AN A-Z GUIDE TO FOOD ADDITIVES © 2009 by Deanna M. Minich, Ph.D. Published by Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.]
• Natural Flavor – Obtained by physical processes that may result in unavoidable but unintentional changes in the chemical structures of the components of the flavorings. Natural flavoring complexes include the essential oil, essence, or extractive, protein hydrolysate distillate, or any product of roasting, heating, or enzyme action.
  [Adapted from A CONSUMER’S DICTIONARY OF FOOD ADDITIVES, 7th ED. © 2009 by Ruth Winter, M.S. Published by Three Rivers Press/Penguin Random House LLC.]

To name a few.

Grossed out yet? I sure was. I guess that’s the point of this promotion!

So after you finish the quiz and are successfully anti-all fast food besides Chipotle, you simply enter your first + last name and your mobile #. You’re texted and asked to opt into Chipotle tweets (promised no more than 4 a month, and can unsubscribe at any time) and then you are texted a coupon for a BOGO (buy one, get one) free offer for a burrito, bowl, salad, or order of tacos. Additionally, you’re entered into a sweeps drawing, where 50 people will get Chipotle for you AND a friend for a YEAR.

Hurry and sign up! This one’s hot!

Chipotle Friend or Faux