Chipotle Mexican Grill and livestream gaming platform Twitch have entered a partnership naming Chipotle the exclusive limited-service restaurant of /twitchgaming, a new channel on the platform, the brands announced last week.
This is the first partnership of its kind for the social media platform. The fast-casual chain will be the official marketing partner for the channel, which is being described as a place for gamers by gamers on the platform.
The channel will have sessions about the future of gaming, news related to gaming, celebrity participants and more. Throughout the summer, Twitch will host multiple events to boost the channel’s reach, and some of those will be in partnership with Chipotle.
As a part of the sponsorship, Chipotle will host a new game. “Chipotle Build Your Own PC,” inspired by Chipotle’s burrito bar format, will have players will build their own PCs with streaming “extras” (e.g. lighting panels and soundproofing equipment), and donate the PCs to a non-profit organization.
Chipotle is also launching a branded feature where hosts and guests provide their unfiltered opinions on the gaming topic at hand.
Chipotle is no stranger to Twitch. In April 2020, the Newport Beach, Calif.-based brand began its Chipotle Challenger series, which allows amateur gamers to compete against gaming stars and celebrities.
Last August, in anticipation of the launch of the chain’s Tony Hawk-inspired burrito and the professional skater’s new video game, Chipotle and Hawk teamed up for a 20-hour livestream on Twitch. The livestream gave away 5,000 burritos to fans watching and featured Hawk along with fellow skateboarder Jagger Eaton and actor Finn Wolfhard playing the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 Warehouse Demo.
As of publication, Chipotle has 74,000 followers on its brand Twitch stream.
Chipotle has been experimenting with alternate forms of marketing and technology this year, including accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment, TikTok, a livestreamed YouTube event with Trixie Mattel for Pride Month and sponsoring a Top Chef challenge.
In 2018, Wendy’s began using Twitch as a marketing tool. The brand was already known for its social media presence and began on the platform livestreaming Fortnite. Later that year, Wendy’s introduced its own Fortnite character, Wendy. The quick-service chain still has a channel on the service where it runs occasional livestreams of games including Animal Crossing and Fortnite.
In 2020, Wendy’s teamed up with Uber Eats to offer a new “Never Stop Gaming” menu featuring five Twitch streamers’ signature Wendy’s meals available exclusively on the delivery app.
It’s not just brands. U.S. House representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) streamed herself playing the video game Among Us on Twitch. While on the livestream, which was one of the platform’s biggest broadcasts, she encouraged viewers to vote. Senator Bernie Sanders joined the livestream platform during his presidential run, as did President Joe Biden, to reach younger voters.