The new movie Food, Inc. is getting a lot of attention with its focus on problems with our food supply. Healthy food brands like Chipotle and Stonyfield are promoting the film.

Chipotle is funding free screenings of the movie across the country. That’s a great promotion, because it gets people passionate about the cause to reach out to their friends, to bring them to a movie … and to spend time on the Chipotle web site.

I am sorry I have to label this as a #FAIL.

1. The Chipotle site is a flash site, so not visible to people with screen readers. I guess people with sight difficulties aren’t Chipotle’s customer base.
2. There are no links to screenings. Should be simple enough to have a widget for the visitor to enters their zip code. There is a link from the Food, Inc. The link from the Food, Inc website promises free screenings but there is no payoff on the Chipotle site.
3. There is no link to the Food, Inc main site.
4. There is no tie-in to seeing the movie ( i.e. “bring a ticket stub to your local Chipotle and get a free taco that won’t make you sick” )
5. There is no tie-in with something like Fandango to make it super easy for the web visitor to close the sale, get them to the theatre and then on to a meal at Chipotle’s
6. Since Chipotle is sponsoring the movie, why are they making anyone go to the theatre? Why not just stream the movie from the Chipotle site?

Chipotle could annotate the movie with information that contrasts with how food going to a Chipotle’s restaurant is raised or grown differently.

I give this a C+ effort.