About 4 to 14% of the population is genetically wired to experience a soapy flavor when they eat cilantro and Chipotle's Cilantro Soap taps into the qualities of this heavily debated ingredient. For years, the restaurant has been recognizing fans' love or hate of the ingredient and back in August 2021, Chipotle shared a mockup of Cilantro Soap to Instagram. Now, months later, Chipotle is introducing a very real version of the meme-inspired soap and it can be found online via the brand's store.
The fan-inspired gift is being introduced alongside a Cilantro Lover Badge that Chipotle Rewards members can claim for a limited time by ordering at least one menu item made with the fresh green herb. Part of Extras, this exclusive feature for Chipotle Rewards members helps fans get free meals faster.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Genetically-informed Marketing
- Identifying genetic traits and leveraging them in marketing campaigns for unique product offerings like Chipotle's Cilantro Soap
- Meme-inspired Product Lines
- Creating products based on viral memes, like Chipotle's Cilantro Soap, for an immediate fanbase
- Customer-generated Promotional Content
- Encouraging customers to generate content for marketing campaigns, as in Chipotle's Cilantro Lover Badge promotion
Where This Applies
- Food and Beverage
- Experimenting with unique ingredients and leveraging food preferences, including genetic traits, for marketing campaigns
- Beauty and Personal Care
- Incorporating food ingredients into personal care products for novel customer experiences, as in Chipotle's Cilantro Soap
- Restaurant and Fast Food
- Offering unique promotional items like Chipotle's Cilantro Lover Badge to incentivize customer loyalty
