DENVER — Teams from Orange, Calif.-based Chapman University and Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Ill., tied and will share top honors in Chipotle Mexican Grill's second annual student advertising contest, "30-Seconds of Fame." The two schools beat out 45 other ads submitted by a total of 18 schools to split the $30,000 prize.
Chipotle invited colleges and universities from around the country to participate in the contest, charging them with producing 30-second television spots promoting any aspect of its business. The spots were judged by Chipotle's internal marketing group based on originality, creativity, consistency with Chipotle's brand and production value.
Chapman University's spot, "Origami," used stop-motion animation to present a progression of foil sculptures drawing on the ancient art of Japanese paper folding. The sculptures culminated in a Chipotle burrito with a tagline that read, "Because No One Wants to Eat the Leaping Toad," a reference to another of the origami sculptures. The Chapman team consisted of students Michael Alfaro, Mary-Louise Friedlard, Chase Flemino, Niles Hogan, Joe Dietch and Taylor Wilson.
The Northern Illinois University spot, "Just the Fax," combined a well-timed payoff and excellent production value to promote Chipotle's fax-ordering service. The spot was created by students Christopher Donald Darkes, Joseph J. Giorgi, Sara Suzanne Honchar and Brittany Samson.
While Chipotle has no specific plans to use the spots, last year's winning spots appeared on the big screen in New York's Times Square, ran on television in select markets during college football's BCS championship game and were used for movie theater advertising around the country.
