Like its earlier animated ad featuring Willie Nelson singing a Coldplay song, the restaurant chain Chipotle‘s new ad uses animation and music to attack the evils of factory farming. Of course, they do so in the context of highlighting their own commitment to fresh food.
The new ad, “The Scarecrow,” features a factory-employed scarecrow discovering a new way of living, set to Fiona Apple singing “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971). The short film was co-directed by Brandon Oldenburg and Limbert Fabian and created by Moonbot Studios. Check it out.
The ad, which also has a tie-in phone app game, is getting a lot of attention. Salon argues that the ad featuring the vegan Fiona Apple is not just anti-farming but anti-meat. Others like AdWeek are praising the Chipotle ad, saying it is “magic.”
Funny or Die takes another approach with its parody of “The Scarecrow.” The new words to the song argue that the original ad is not pure imagination but “pure manipulation.”
What do you think of “The Scarecrow” and the parody? Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)