Chipotle is dropping a limited-edition, three-foot-wide version of its takeout bag as part of a broader push to cater to group dining.
The bag promotes the chain’s Family Meals offering, previously known as Build-Your-Own Chipotle. The $10-per-person deal gives groups all the ingredients to build their own tacos, salads, nachos, and bowls.
Chipotle will give Rewards members in the U.S. the chance to win a Big Ass Chipotle Bag through a multi-week digital sweepstakes. Members who purchase a Family Meal through the Chipotle app or website will be automatically entered for a chance to win.
The bag has a 170-liter capacity and measures 36 inches wide, 24 inches tall, and 12 inches deep. The idea was to play with one of Chipotle’s iconic brand assets, said chief brand officer Fernando Machado.
“We took one of the most recognizable parts of the Chipotle experience, gave it an outsized upgrade, and created something that’s impossible to miss,” Machado said. “It’s fun, it’s ridiculous, and it’s exactly the kind of thing we knew our fans would want to get their hands on.”
The Big Ass Chipotle Bag is an early piece of work from Machado, the former Burger King CMO who joined Chipotle in June as part of its turnaround plans.
The campaign also marks the first major collaboration between Chipotle and its new creative agency partner Gut. Chipotle did not hold a pitch for the partnership, and it works with a roster of creative partners across different campaigns and initiatives, a brand spokesperson said. Machado worked closely with Gut during his time at Burger King.
For its debut work for the brand, Gut took a cue from high-fashion campaigns, turning the takeout bag into a desirable item. To signal the bag’s size, all sorts of huge items get added, including a trumpet, a Christmas tree, and even a chair from the restaurant.
Ricky Casal, chief creative officer at Gut Miami, said the beauty of the idea is that it doesn’t need explaining.
“You see this ridiculously oversized Chipotle bag and immediately get the joke. We leaned into that simplicity, treating it like a luxury object and letting the scale do the storytelling,” he said.
Stephanie Perdue, Chipotle’s senior vice president of brand marketing, said group occasions are a “growing part” of the burrito chain’s business. “With enough food to serve four to six people, it’s a convenient option for dinner, game days and all the moments when everyone wants something a little different,” she said.
The campaign comes after the Financial Times reported that Starbucks has explored a takeover of Chipotle, a move that would reunite Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol with the chain he previously led. Neither company has publicly confirmed the reported talks.
