Chipotle, Creative Artists Agency Win 2012 Grandy Award

Chipotle Mexican Grill and CAA Marketing, a division of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), have been awarded the 2012 GRANDY Award for the animated short film "Back to the Start," at the annual International ANDY Awards. In addition to the prestige of being named the best piece of creative work this year, the GRANDY Award comes with a $50,000 prize that Chipotle and CAA Marketing will donate to the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.

"Back to the Start" depicts a farmer whose family farm has slowly evolved into a factory. In a moment of self-reflection, the farmer realizes that he must go "back to the start" and transition away from factory conditions toward more sustainable farming methods. The film's subject matter is enhanced by a Willie Nelson cover of Coldplay's song, "The Scientist." "Back to the Start" was developed by Chipotle, in partnership with CAA Marketing and London-based director Johnny Kelly. It first appeared online in August 2011, ran on 10,000 movie theater screens through the fall, and aired during the 2012 GRAMMY Awards telecast.

"'Back to the Start' was never intended to be an ad; it was meant to be a short film to invite people on a journey with us to a more sustainable future," said Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing officer at Chipotle. "Since we have a great story to tell, our challenge is to tell it in the most compelling way possible, and we have found that less traditional forms of advertising are a better way to do that. CAA and Johnny helped us create something that tells our story in a meaningful way and that is really resonating with people." Chipotle and CAA Marketing are donating the $50,000 prize to the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, a foundation established by Chipotle in 2011 to extend its commitment to creating a more sustainable future. The foundation grants awards to organizations and individuals who support family farms and their communities, ranchers who are working to develop more sustainable practices, and educators and programs that teach younger generations about food matters.

So far on YouTube, nearly 7 million people have watched "Back to the Start." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMfSGt6rHos

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