• 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 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).