The Scarecrow:
Chipotle Challenges Customers to Think About Their Food

Chipotle has released a new game called The Scarecrow that contains a message most large corporations would do anything to keep you from thinking about: the reality of industrialized meat production. The protagonist is a scarecrow pursuing the goal of breaking down Crow Foods, a monopoly which is controlling food production and harming animals, small farmers, and the environment in the process.
The game seems to be a metaphor for today’s food system, and its goal seems to be to set Chipotle apart from “other” corporations which source their food from the equivalent of the game’s Crow Foods. Chipotle is on a mission to serve as much responsibly raised meat and organic and local produce as possible for a company of their size. Sure, they’ve received criticisms for releasing a game which tries to set them apart from a system that they take part in to some degree, but despite their marketing goals it truly seems like Chipotle is doing the best it can to be as ethical and transparent as possible. Heck, they even list their genetically modified ingredients on their website!
The Scarecrow is free for download from iTunes (did I mention that you can unlock real Chipotle coupons in the game?). To learn more about the game and Chipotle’s mission to change the fast food industry, check out the game’s website here.