WASHINGTON — Chipotle is celebrating this year’s NBA championship series with a giveaway of 53,000 free burritos and a new marketing campaign inspired by a connection between the competing teams and the restaurant chain’s commitment to fresh ingredients.
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The restaurant chain announced its “53 Years. 53 Real Ingredients.” campaign this week, tying the number of their fresh ingredients to a championship matchup that traces back to 1973. The New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs are currently competing in the NBA Finals. But 53 years ago was a unique year for each of the two teams. 1973 was the last time New York won a professional basketball championship. Meanwhile San Antonio’s professional basketball franchise launched that year.
To mark the occasion, Chipotle said it will give away 53,000 free entrées after the final game of the championship series. Fans can participate by watching Chipotle’s account on X, immediately following the final game. The company will post a text-to-win code, and the first 53,000 people to text the code to 888-222 will receive a free entrée offer.
“This year’s series created a connection we couldn’t ignore: 53 years tied to a unique championship storyline and 53 real ingredients that define Chipotle,” Stephanie Perdue, Chipotle’s senior vice president of brand marketing, said in a statement. “Giving away 53,000 free burritos is our way of bringing that story to life for fans.”
The campaign also features professional basketball players and Team Chipotle athletes Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, who are appearing in a new advertisement called “Time For Real” that will air during Game 2 of the championship series on June 5.
As part of the promotion, Chipotle has added the players’ preferred high-protein meals as featured digital menu items available through the Chipotle app and website for a limited time.
Hart’s featured burrito includes white rice, double chicken, black beans, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, sour cream and cheese. According to Chipotle, the burrito contains 95 grams of protein.
Bridges’ featured bowl includes white rice, double chicken, tomatillo-green chili salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa and lettuce, with 71 grams of protein.
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