The title of this post sounds like one of those children’s riddles: When is a door not a door? But this trend towards more mature, less invasive advertising is fast taking hold. This ad from Chipotle is a perfect example of value-based advertising that does not attack consumers with brand messages, while dealing with important social issues.

This ad from Chipotle, a fast food chain in the US that sells Mexican food, shows the trend towards value and emotion based advertising in a great way. Where we see other fast food chains competing in terms of price, convenience and portion size – Chipotle has taken an emotional angle that is difficult to ignore. For the polar opposite of this ad (and a great idea in its own right for its own reasons) take a look at Burger King’s Whopper Lust campaign, which rewarded people for sitting in front of their TVs and watching nothing but a revolving Whopper from Burger King for as long as possible.

What this ad does so well though, is deal with a very heavy emotional subject in a way that is easy to deal with. While this ad is most definitely for Chipotle (and does a great job of pushing Chipotle’s brand) it is also about a serious social issue. Factory farming and unhealthy farming practices are a serious problem and one of the sad symptoms of modern society. For two minutes of a very emotional film we see a farmer starting his farming journey, industrialising his entire operation and eventually realising that he should return to the old ways of doing things, which are better for the animals and better for the people who buy Chipotle food. Only at the very end of the film do we see the Chipotle logo, a very mature and confident move.

This is all held together beautifully with a haunting rendition of Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’ by Willie Nelson. Added to this, Chipotle made the song available on iTunes with proceeds going to the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, which aims to improve farming practices in the US. This shows that Chipotle not only cares about farming in the US, but also that they are willing to do something about it.

What makes this such a powerful piece of communication is the alignment of Chipotle’s product offering with the cause they choose to support. As consumers come to expect more from brands (and this is a trend that will only gain momentum in the coming months and years) it is important that brands find causes that are aligned with their values. The sad truth is that there are any number of worthy causes out there, but a fast food company tackling AIDS, for example, is not the right fit.

Caring is sexy and people like sexy brands. As a brand, you need to ask yourself how much longer you can take from the earth (from the extraction of raw materials through to the inevitable environmental damage from the supply chain) and society (demanding people’s time, money and attention) without giving back. As brands become more important in people’s lives, taking on human traits as people interact with them daily (through products, advertising and social media) people will expect brands to behave more like people.

At the end of the day, people who don’t care, exploit others and don’t help society are unattractive. And so it is with brands.