Chipotle, DreamHack And ESL Team Up To Launch Challenger Series Esports Competition

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) today announced its official partnership with DreamHack, the premier gaming and digital lifestyle festival, and ESL, the world's largest esports company. Already a fan favorite and staple among professional gamers, streamers and fans, Chipotle looks to further establish its esports presence as the official partner of DreamHack Masters Dallas. Chipotle will also serve as the presenting partner of DreamHack Open Atlanta and an integral part of ESL's Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Chicago. Activations at DreamHack competitions will include launching the Chipotle Challenger Series, player and VIP hospitality programs and digital content surrounding the events.

"Our partnership with DreamHack allows Chipotle to become even more ingrained in the esports community," said Chris Brandt, Chief Marketing Officer at Chipotle. "This sponsorship provides the perfect platform to directly engage new and longtime loyal Chipotle fans on-site and online, and we are excited to recognize and reward possible up-and-coming talent in the space."

"Since launching our first North American event in 2016, DreamHack has been able to continue to grow and capture a larger audience both online and on-site in the United States," said Michael Van Driel, Chief Product Officer at DreamHack. "Having a partner like Chipotle on board to support what we are already doing while adding more content to the event is tremendously exciting for us. DreamHack Dallas will be the biggest North American event we have hosted to date, and is the perfect location to kick off this partnership."

Most notably, Chipotle, DreamHack and ESL will be launching the Chipotle Challenger Series, a new on-site amateur tournament that gives attending fans the opportunity to join the competition and prove their skills in some of the world's most popular games. Champions will win the custom Chipotle Challenger Series trophy, a special card for a year of free Chipotle and one-of-a-kind Chipotle swag. Registration will be open to all event attendees at DreamHack Dallas and DreamHack Atlanta.

"Chipotle's integration is a natural fit, and we would like to officially welcome them to the ESL family," said Paul Brewer, SVP, Brand Partnerships at ESL. "The Chipotle Challenger Series is exemplary of how a brand can activate in a smart and creative way that allows fans to join the action."

In addition to the Chipotle Challenger Series, Chipotle will be sponsoring the player lounges at all three of these high-profile events as well as Rank S Combine. The VIP lounge lets players, talent and celebrities relax and refuel with Chipotle in between games and performances. All of the on-site consumer and VIP experiences will be supported with Chipotle-branded digital content. This content, which will be viewed by fans tuning in all over the world, will feature popular influencers and spotlight the Chipotle Challenger Series as well as all on-site elements.

Chipotle has turned to REV/XP, a global leader in esports marketing and activation, to manage and execute the various components of its comprehensive esports sponsorship with DreamHack and ESL. This includes sponsorship strategy, creative design and experiential production.

"When we initially sat down with Chipotle's marketing team, they recognized how passionate fans are about the games they play and follow in esports, and Chris's team really wanted to throw Chipotle's support behind these passions. The collaboration with ESL, and DreamHack specifically, will appeal to a variety of gaming interests and is a great way to bring value to the space by recognizing and rewarding fans that get directly involved at events. We are privileged to be a part of these efforts," said Dan Ciccone, Co-Founder & SVP at REV/XP.

The partnership begins with the Chipotle-sponsored player lounge at Rank S Combine April 12-14, 2019 at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. Learn more about the partnership at www.ChipotleChallengerSeries.com and be sure to register on-site for the Chipotle Challenger Series if attending the mentioned DreamHack events.

ABOUT CHIPOTLE
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Chipotle had nearly 2,500 restaurants as of December 31, 2018 in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants. With more than 70,000 employees passionate about providing a great guest experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business practices. Steve Ells, founder and Executive Chairman, first opened Chipotle with a single restaurant in Denver, Colorado in 1993. For more information or to place an order online, visit WWW.CHIPOTLE.COM. 

About DreamHack
DreamHack is all about entertainment for the digital generation. Founded in 1994 as a BYOC LAN party, DreamHack grew over 20 years to a global phenomenon as the digital festival for today's youth, hosted throughout Europe and North America. DreamHack festivals feature multiple esports competitions, live music, exhibitions, creative competitions, LAN party, cosplay and much more. DreamHack helped pioneer esports and continues to be one of the largest global producers of esports content. Millions of viewers tune in from all over the world to watch DreamHack broadcasts every year. DreamHack events welcomed over 310,000 visitors in 2018.

More information is available at dreamhack.com. DreamHack is part of leading international digital entertainment group MTG. More information at mtg.com.

About ESL
ESL is the world's largest esports company. Founded in 2000, ESL has been shaping the industry across the most popular video games with numerous online and offline competitions. It operates high profile, branded international leagues and tournaments such as ESL One, Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL Pro League and other top tier stadium-size events, as well as ESL National Championships, grassroots amateur cups and matchmaking systems, defining the path from zero to hero as short as possible. With offices all over the world, ESL is leading esports forward on a global scale. ESL is a part of MTG, the leading international digital entertainment group. https://about.eslgaming.com/

About REV/XP
REV/XP is an industry-first talent management and marketing agency solely dedicated to esports. As a sister agency to rEvolution, REV/XP offers production, event activation, media placement, research, social strategy and analytics and talent management services that are unmatched in the esports landscape. The agency has been instrumental in introducing brands like PepsiCo's Brisk, Turtle Wax and Chipotle to the esports community. Learn more at www.revxp.com.

SOURCE Chipotle Mexican Grill

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