sports

Chipotle Renames Chicago Restaurant 'Chipper' In Nod To NHL Winter Classic

Chipotle, the official Mexican-themed restaurant of the National Hockey League, is renaming one of its Chicago restaurants in honor of hockey players and fans ahead of the upcoming NHL Winter Classic.

Referring to Chipotle as “Chipper” is a trend popularized by hockey players and fans on social media -- as  San Jose Sharks rookie Will Smith noted in an interview last year.

The restaurant undergoing the temporary name change is in the Wrigleyville neighborhood of Chicago. The NHL Winter Classic takes place Dec. 31 at Wrigley Field.

“Chipper” is an example of how hockey culture transcends the action on the ice, says Chris Brandt, chief brand officer at Chipotle.

“As a brand deeply embedded in the sport, we’re celebrating the passionate fandom of the hockey community by bringing its favorite restaurant moniker to life for the first time,” Brandt tells Marketing Daily.

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Discover is another brand taking advantage of winter classic, which is being held in its hometown, says said Jennifer Murillo, chief marketing officer at Discover.

“We engaged our Chicago NHL fan base early in November as the presenting season sponsor of the Millennium Park, McCormick Tribune Ice Rink,” Murillo tells Marketing Daily

In mid-December, Discover unveiled a nearly 20-foot “puck drop."

“It's also perfect for fan photo ops,” Murillo says. “ Once again, we will be bringing a fan-first experience the day of the game at the NHL’s pre-game Fan Festival including an oversized air hockey game, freeze-frame-style photos and digital takeaways, and premiums for everyone--– all with a little NYE sparkle. And we’re also looking forward to some other fun surprises the day of the game.”

More than a dozen NHL partners and licensees are activating around the game, include new partners AstraZeneca, Bodyarmor and Energizer. As in previous years, the NHL is hosting a free outdoor fan festival ahead of the game. 

Fans can stop by the Hatty Trick Challenge presented by AstraZeneca to test their shooting skills and score their very own hat trick. Consumers can pick up limited-edition Hockey Fights Cancer trading cards as well as honor loved ones affected by cancer by including them on “I fight for” stickers.

Bodyarmor will give fans the chance to show their skills by shooting pucks into the net while aiming for the targets. Free samples of the drink will be available. Fans can also head over to Energizer’s Power Shot activation to test how fast their slapshot is and get a pair of Energizer bunny ears.

Other brands activating include CAT, the Chicago Blackhawks, DraftKings, Fanatics, GEICO, Great Clips, Honda, Jersey Mike’s,  Pepsi,  Ticketmaster and Verizon. 

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