Chipotle’s Latest Iteration of ‘Real Ingredients for Real Athletes’ Features NHL Stars Jack Hughes and Matty Beniers

An official NHL sponsor and longtime USA Hockey sponsor, Chipotle has just released its latest Real Ingredients for Real Athletes campaign effort in connection with the NHL Playoffs. 

Created with agency partner Venables Bell + Partners, the new spots feature Matty Beniers of the Seattle Kraken and Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, who also happen to be Chipotle superfans. The brand works exclusively with athletes that are passionate about Chipotle's real ingredients. This campaign showcases athletes' real relationship with Chipotle from their first game to now at the highest professional level. 

In the two spots, Chipotle Constant Ingredient: Jack Hughes and Chipotle Constant Ingredient: Matty Beniers, Jack and Matty deliver mesmerizing performances on the ice. At the same time, we hear internal dialogue about their journeys and the key ingredients that have played an important role in their careers, all the way to this moment of vying for their first Stanley Cup. Chipotle and VB+P worked with renowned music director Colin Tilley to bring the athletes' stories to life and drone pilot Alex Vanover to capture their incredible moves. 

"Hockey is more than just a sport; it's a way of life,” said Stephanie Perdue, VP of Marketing at Chipotle Mexican Grill.  “At Chipotle, we share that same level of passion when it comes to our fresh ingredients and classic cooking techniques. Matty and Jack are exciting young players, pushing themselves, their teams, and the league to new heights. We're proud to be a part of their training regimen and help fuel their playoff journeys."

The spots will run through the Playoffs on NHL digital and mobile platforms and across CBS Sports channels. The campaign includes a social media component on the athletes' social channels and paid integrations with ESPN's Snapchat channel. 

This effort is the third iteration of the Chipotle Real Ingredients for Real Athletes campaign. During last year's Playoffs, Chipotle premiered a groundbreaking mixed-reality ad, marking the first time the NHL leveraged mixed-reality technology for broadcast viewers. That was followed by "Constant Ingredient" ads featuring U.S. Men's National Team stars Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, which ran during last summer's World Cup.

"As we continued this campaign with hockey players, we knew it would need to feel different from our World Cup soccer work,” said James Duffy, creative director at VB+P. “Hockey is fast, and we looked for a director that could use the speed to our advantage. Colin's experience in the world of music videos immediately interested us, and when he suggested shooting with a drone, all of the production pieces came together. Alex is one of the world's top drone pilots, and his approach made an amazing difference. We wanted to convey these simple stories with choreography matching the athletes' speed and dynamism, and we're thrilled with the result."