Dive Brief:

• Following the success of its “A Love Story” animated short, Chipotle launched a spin-off game on Oct. 11 that provides players with a a buy-one-get-one free entrée coupon, according to a release from the company.
• The game involves players matching Chipotle ingredients away from "imposters" like additives, consistent with the brand's overall image of providing natural, healthy foods to consumers.
• "A Love Story" had 71% of viewers reporting the brand uses high quality, whole ingredients, and 65% saying it made them more likely to trust the company, according to internal research.

Dive Insight:

Chipotle has been facing a long uphill battle to rehabilitate its image following health crises over the past year that scarred its mission of providing fast-casual eaters with wholesome product. Since January, the brand has been campaigning to win back consumers, and in June it launched a limited-time loyalty program focused on ardent fans. 

One of the areas where Chipotle's always been strong is multimedia, and video in particular, as the wide reach and acclaim around "A Love Story" shows.

Expanding that popular piece of content marketing to a game is a good way to ensure the campaign's longevity, as games require a good deal of engagement on the part of the consumer and often foster positive experiences by providing a fun distraction. 

That the game rewards all players with a coupon for a buy-one-get-one-free meal seems a sure way to boost foot traffic in Chipotle restaurants, and might rebuild user trust with the brand, as the company's internal research suggests the source video did.

Gaming continues to gain prominence as a marketing strategy, with big brands such as Pepsi, Kellogg and Coors, among others, embracing the tactic to build relationships with digital consumers.