What’s working in Chipotle’s ongoing attempt to drive traffic?
Tattoos, apparently.
On March 13, the chain offered a buy one, get one entrée offer for anyone with a tattoo—real, temporary or even hand-drawn. The “Tatted Like A Chipotle Bag” promotion resulted in the highest single sales day in the 4,000-unit chain’s history.
What makes it stand out is the fact that the BOGO offer was only available in stores for an hour on that Friday the 13th, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time. The promotion was offered across locations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France and Germany.
The company said single-day sales were about 10% higher than the previous sales record set on National Burrito Day in 2024, which the offer of $1 million in free burritos was hidden in a digital Burrito Vault that guests had to try to unlock.
This year’s tattoo-themed promotion stems from a meme related to the tattoo-style graphics on a Chipotle bag. But the BOGO was also promoted by rapper Swaelee, whose “mannequin challenge” social media posts generated more than 9.5 million views across Instagram and TikTok.
Chipotle estimated promotion-related content generated more than 12 million impressions and 380,000 engagements with fans sharing their tattoos.
“Not every brand can ask customers to wear their love on their skin and have them show up in droves,” said Stephanie Perdue, Chipotle’s interim chief marketing officer. “The fact that a one-hour, in-restaurant offer became the biggest sales day in our history speaks volumes about the passion of our community and the power of leaning into what makes Chipotle unique.”
Inspiring guests to show up in droves is what Chipotle needs.
The fast-casual chain ended fiscal 2025 with same-store sales down 2.5%, including a 3.2% decline in traffic. For the year, Chipotle’s traffic was down nearly 3%.
Chipotle is investing more in marketing this year, increasing the number of limited-time menu promotions, and adding new sides and beverages to create news. Last week, the chain unveiled its next new sauce.
Former Chief Brand Officer Chris Brandt stepped down last year, and Chipotle is looking for a new marketing leader, someone CEO Scott Boatwright called a “unicorn” of a leader who could support the digital team as it reworks the chain’s loyalty program, and drive transactions on third-party delivery platforms.
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