Brief:
- Chipotle Mexican Grill is celebrating Pride Month with a "Lunch & Listen" session with influencers on its official TikTok channel. The livestreamed event will take place at 2 p.m. ET on June 26 and will raise money for charity, according to a press release.
- TV personality Karamo will host the "Lunch & Listen" event, whose lineup of speakers includes TikTok creators Isabella Avila (@OnlyJayus), Eva Gutowski (@mylifeaseva) and Collins O. (@thatboycollins). They will discuss their experiences as prominent figures in the LGBTQ+ community.
- For every viewer who watches the event on TikTok Live, Chipotle will donate $1 to the Center for Black Equity, a coalition of Black gay pride organizers. The donation will be capped at $50,000, per the announcement.
Insight:
Chipotle's "Lunch & Listen" session on TikTok Live aims to promote discussion about key issues for the LGBTQ+ community during Pride month, which has faced enormous disruption during the coronavirus pandemic. The fast-casual chain also seeks to raise money for The Center for Black Equity amid the heightened awareness of racial discrimination following the murder of George Floyd while in police custody.
Chipotle has been an active supporter of Pride events, including those on social media platforms like TikTok. Last year, the company observed Pride month by donating proceeds from product sales on Instagram to a related charity. The burrito chain's Instagram post and website also sold limited-edition Pride merchandise showing its "Love What Makes You Real" slogan.
Chipotle's cause-driven campaigns are likely to appeal to younger consumers who are heavy users of social media and who are especially conscious of gender issues, according to a study by Pew Research Center. Chipotle has enlisted TikTok celebrities to connect with a Gen Z audience before, such as during this year's Super Bowl and Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
The livestreamed event is another sign of how the pandemic has led a variety of Pride organizations and supporting brands to develop virtual celebrations amid the cancellation of public gatherings.
Global Pride, a collaboration among LGBT+ Pride organizations worldwide, last week started hosting a virtual Pride festival in Nintendo's hit social simulation game "Animal Crossing: New Horizons." As part of the effort, several Twitch creators will livestream their game sessions while hosting Pride-related activities in "Animal Crossing" on June 27.
NYX Professional Makeup this month started hosting a virtual Pride march on Instagram, while PepsiCo's flavored seltzer brand Bubly launched a #UnstoppablePride campaign that asks people to post their "best parade strut" on TikTok or Instagram Stories.
