# Chipotle launches creator-led national ad campaign featuring Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips
*Chipotle Mexican Grill handed cameras to 100 creators who filmed at over 50 restaurants to showcase its new limited-time Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips across TV and social platforms.*

**Section:** Business
**Tags:** Business, Business-news, Chipotle, Marketing, Los-angeles
**Reading time:** 3 min

On Aug. 31, Chipotle Mexican Grill unveiled the next evolution of its Behind the Foil series, a national ad campaign built entirely from footage captured by 100 independent creators inside its restaurants. The unscripted spots, which will run on broadcast television, TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, spotlight the brand’s simultaneous launch of an all-new Pollo Asado recipe and the debut of Chili Lime Chips, a side inspired by a viral fan hack.

The creators, ranging from food artists to a domino-building specialist, were given free rein to document morning prep at more than 50 Chipotle locations across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. The resulting 345 hours of raw material were edited into a cohesive narrative that contains zero brand-shot footage, a first for the chain since Chief Brand Officer Fernando Machado took the helm.

## Creator-driven production breaks traditional ad molds

Chipotle’s partnership with São Paulo-based agency KIDS marked the brand’s first major collaboration with the firm, and the first national campaign under Machado’s leadership. “Real today is defined by many voices, not just by what a brand says about itself,” Machado said in a statement released by the company [Chipotle newsroom](https://newsroom.chipotle.com/2026-08-31-CHIPOTLE-HANDS-THE-CAMERAS-TO-100-CREATORS-FOR-ITS-NEW-NATIONAL-AD-CAMPAIGN). The creators, who collectively command over 100 million followers, were invited to work alongside restaurant staff, filming themselves grilling chicken, seasoning chips and hand-mashing guacamole without any scripted direction.

Among the eclectic roster were potter Emme Zhou, who fashioned a custom ceramic piece inspired by the chips; domino artist Lily Hevesh, who turned the rhythm of prep into a domino cascade; stop-motion animator Ben Treat, who recreated burrito assembly in clay; and food artist Alissa Teo, who rendered a steak-burrito bowl in rice art. Their diverse perspectives were preserved in the final cuts, a point emphasized by Icaro Doria, founder and chief creative officer of KIDS, who said the goal was to “preserve what made each creator’s footage distinctive, rather than make it conform to the conventions of a traditional commercial.”

## At a Glance

- **CREATORS INVOLVED:** 100 creators
- **RESTAURANTS FILMED:** 50+ restaurants
- **FOOTAGE CAPTURED:** 345 hours
- **TOTAL FOLLOWER REACH:** 100M+ followers
- **LIMITED-TIME ITEMS:** Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips

## Menu rollout ties creator content to consumer experience

The campaign coincides with Chipotle’s first simultaneous launch of two limited-time items. Pollo Asado returns with a new recipe that adds cilantro and real lime for a bright, savory flavor, while Chili Lime Chips translate a fan-generated food hack into an official side made with real ingredients and no artificial additives. Both items were highlighted in the creator-shot footage, showing staff grilling the chicken, seasoning the chips and assembling bowls in real time.

Chipotle Rewards members received exclusive early access to Chili Lime Chips on Aug. 31, with the chips becoming available to all guests on Sept. 4, according to the brand’s press release [Chipotle newsroom](https://newsroom.chipotle.com/2026-08-31-CHIPOTLE-MARKS-A-BRAND-FIRST-WITH-ALL-NEW-POLLO-ASADO-AND-THE-DEBUT-OF-CHILI-LIME-CHIPS). The dual launch, supported by the creator-driven ad, aims to capture the momentum of the viral chip-hacking trend while re-energizing the Pollo Asado offering that has been absent since 2022. The campaign’s reach, broadcast TV plus TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, means Los Angeles diners will encounter the new menu items both on the street and on their personal feeds.

## Curator's Note

For Los Angeles, this campaign illustrates how a global brand can amplify local voices, many of the 100 creators are LA-based influencers whose feeds will now carry the brand’s story. The unscripted style mirrors the city’s own DIY creative energy, while the simultaneous launch of two menu items gives LA restaurants a fresh promotional hook that could drive foot traffic during a competitive summer dining season.

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Curated by VIBES News Desk · Published 2026-09-02
Source: https://www.curationsla.com/vibes/2026-09-02-chipotle-launches-creator-led-national-ad-campaign-featuring

Cite as: CurationsLA, "Chipotle launches creator-led national ad campaign featuring Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips", https://www.curationsla.com/vibes/2026-09-02-chipotle-launches-creator-led-national-ad-campaign-featuring (published 2026-09-02).
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