• Ad Age, Wednesday, November 16, 2005 1:30 PM

The man who put Chipotle Mexican Grill on the map through quirky advertising and other creative strategies has resigned. The McDonald's-owned company announced the departure of marketing director Dan Fogarty in a memo from CEO Steve Ells. In his announcement, Ells said Fogarty "laid the foundation for our marketing program by defining our public look, giving voice to our advertising, understanding the influence great music can have, and adding his own unique and thoughtful touches to our emerging brand. He was instrumental in developing the Chipotle culture." However, no specific reasons were given for Fogarty's departure. Fogarty's contributions included a crew training video in the style of a mock documentary about a girl's forbidden love for a burrito. He also engineered a TV campaign that spoofed PBS shows, including a phony pledge drive, in support of Chipotle's actual sponsorship of the cooking show "How to Cook Everything: Bittman Takes on America's Chefs." Fogarty's departure comes as McDonald's prepares to spin off a minority stake in Chipotle via a public offering analysts estimate would raise about $1 billion.

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