Chipotle experiments with Threads for National Avocado Day (2024)

Chipotle is using Threads to help fans access concert tickets in honor of National Avocado Day on July 31, according to a press release. The “Get in The Pit” effort marries a yearly celebration by the chain with in-person music experiences, a popular touch-point for younger consumers, while also allowing for early experimentation on the new Meta offering.

On July 31, Chipotle for a 12-hour period (10 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST)will drop text-to-win codes at the top of the hour on its Thread’s profile. The 1,000th fan to text the code each hour will receive a pair of concert or festival tickets of their choice, with 13 winners total. In addition to the Threads activation, Chipotle rewards members on the same day can get free guacamole when they use the code “AVO2023” at checkout on the Chipotle app. Chipotle partnered with Avocados from Peru for the activation.

This year’s National Avocado Day marketing could help the chain boost its loyalty program, which reached 33 million membersin Q1 of 2023 following initiatives like its “Freepotle” perk, which was promoted earlier this year on TikTok and Instagram. Other creative efforts to boost its loyalty program have included hidden keywords in its television ads and a burrito-rolling Roblox activation, a move that was timed to metaverse hype.

It’s worth noting that Chipotle’s Threads effort closely resembles an activation by the chain for National Burrito Day in April, an effort that saw the chain similarly disperse text-to-win codes, though it was on Twitter. The latest move not only speaks to the hype surrounding Meta’s new offering, but it could also indicate how marketers are responding to Twitter’s ongoing turbulence under the ownership of Elon Musk. The platform this week rebranded to X, ditching the iconic blue bird logo to more closely align with Musk’s goal of crafting an “everything app.”

Chipotle’s Threads activation marks the first time a major restaurant brand will host a sweepstakes on Threads, according to the brand. Currently, Chipotle has approximately 100,000 followers on the platform. The Twitter alternative app saw massive early success, with 117 million users —nearly half of Twitter’s user base – reached in just a few weeks. However, Threads has quickly lost steam, with daily active users dropping by approximately 70% since launch, according to Sensor Tower findings. It remains to be seen whether brands will find marketing opportunities on the platform, with the Chipotle activation potentially serving as an example for other early adopters.

Chipotle has often gone all-out for National Avocado Day, usually hopping on the latest emerging trends as a way to connect with Gen Z. The company last year introduced a limited-time stock market simulation game, “Buy the Dip,” that gave away $200,000 in various cryptocurrency. In 2019, it launched a #GuacDance challenge on TikTok, which received 250,000 video submissions and 430 million video starts during its six-day run.

Recommended Reading

• Chipotle’s Buy the Dip game will give away $200K in crypto By Jessica Deyo • July 25, 2022
• Chipotle smashes TikTok records with #GuacDance challenge By Robert Williams • Aug. 2, 2019