• by Teresa Buyikian , Yesterday

Chipotle is readying itself for a $1 million dollar Super Bowl effort. But the chain isn’t advertising in the Big Game -- instead, it’s giving away $1 million in free food during the game itself.

The brand states that “in In lieu of airing a commercial during the big game, Chipotle will spotlight its real value proposition with a one-time drop of up to $1 million in free entrée codes.”

Taking aim at those advertisers using AI for their Super Bowl ads, Chipotle will deliver the entrée codes via a :30 Instagram Reels video, titled “The Chipotle Realest 30," which drops when an AI-generated ad airs after halftime and before the third quarter during Super Bowl LX on February 8.

A text claim code appears in the video, which rewards the first 100,000 fans to text the code to 888222 for a free entrée.

“With our real ingredients, we don't use any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives on our menu — so when AI shows up in a TV ad after halftime, we're seizing that one moment to reward fans with what they really want: real food,” said Stephanie Perdue, interim CMO of Chipotle, in a release.

Chipotle is also rolling out three “Game Day Nacho Hacks” via the Chipotle app and online from February 5 through February 8.

The “hacks” are a “shareable, customizable assortment” of Chipotle ingredients serving groups of three to four.

Available with the option of chicken, steak or without meat, the Hacks all contain: two large bags of chips, two large sides of queso blanco, two large sides of guac and two large sides of salsa (roasted chili-corn salsa and fresh tomato salsa).