If you find yourself on Twitter and Facebook more often than you’d like to admit, it is likely that you have seen Chipotle’s new ad campaign, “The Scarecrow,” circulating the web. The ad not only promotes its products, but it also spreads awareness about the factory farming industry across the United States.
The short film,“The Scarecrow,” is a three-minute animated video about a lonesome scarecrow discovering the mournful truth about how food in the 21st century is produced.
Set to the song “Pure Imagination” by Fiona Apple, the video creates a despairing mood. The uninformed scarecrow wanders through different components of a factory farm and is shocked to see the mistreatment of animals and the unnatural additives to what was once natural produce. The video is undoubtedly upsetting, but it still has a certain charm to it.
The strong and thought-provoking aspects of the short film bring out emotional responses in many. But don’t fret. It has a positive turnaround at the end as the scarecrow creates the well-known food chain, Chipotle, in reaction to the corrupt form of food production he is exposed to. Chipotle advocates for fresh, non-GMO produce and hormone-free, USDA approved meat. Basing judgments off the ad, it can be assumed that Chipotle is averse to obtaining their meat, dairy and produce from factory farms.
When the thought of a meat-producing farm comes to mind, most imagine vast green acres of land with animals roaming around at their leisure and perhaps a big red barn in the background. In reality, this image represents less than one percent of farms in America and will probably cease to exist altogether in the near future. Factory farms are the quickest, most economical way to supply the country with food. So why go back to older, more expensive methods?
The world is constantly flourishing and factory farming is convenient for everyone. But is it healthy? Is it even safe? These are concerns that Chipotle brings to light with the short film.
Simply being aware of where the food you eat comes from is a big first step in making smarter decisions and leading a healthy lifestyle. As students in college, it is difficult to find healthy, delicious food within budget. But Chipotle and restaurant chains similar to it are becoming more and more popular. With large meals under $10 and a plethora of options, no one is going to go hungry. Now it can be certain that the resonably priced food is raised on guilt-free facilities and not genetically modified. It can only be hoped that other food chains will follow in Chipotle’s steps and offer healthy, fresh foods.
