Case Study 02

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle is, well, Chipotle. They needed a nimble design team with an intimate understanding of the brand who could execute quickly with little to no oversight on a wide range of projects. Moreover, they needed an agency partner that could be fully integrated with the organization.

There was an urgent need to maintain the brand’s integrity and creative output at this time, as the company transitioned to a structure with no internal creative team.

JD&Co. Design has been a fully integrated partner to the Chipotle in-house creative team for the last six years, concepting and executing countless creatives across packaging, illustrations, and collaterals. (Fun fact: Dakyung was a part of the in-house team before she co-founded JD&Co. Design—so she not only understood the brand, she was also instrumental in building it!)

With an in-office presence at least two days a week, we were able to execute creatives that are not merely on-brand but also in lockstep with the trends and learnings for other Chipotle projects, creating a more unified brand experience.

We were also involved in branding and producing marketing materials for Chipotle’s new business concepts, ShopHouse Kitchen and Pizzeria Locale.

Our partnership with Chipotle has allowed the restaurant company to extend its creative capabilities nimbly, without having to increase headcount or rely on their AOR.

Our packaging work, which includes take-out bags, cups, and tray liners, is used by hundreds of thousands of Chipotle customers on a daily basis.

We concepted, developed, and rolled out the Cultivating Thought series, Two-minute essays printed on various Chipotle packaging. This campaign has earned the company something more valuable and lasting than media impressions (of which there were plenty): genuine cultural engagement and thought-provoking levels of brand awareness.

(Fun fact: The Yale Collection of American Literature has acquired a complete set of the Cultivating Thought series!)