After feeling very frustrated about having nothing to read while he was eating alone at Chipotle one day, author Jonathan Safran Foer decided to start the “Cultivating Thought” project, where original essays by famous writers would be printed onto the cups and bags of the Mexican fast food chain.
After getting Steve Ells, Chipotle’s C.E.O, onboard, Safran-Foer gathered interesting text from renowned writers, including Malcolm Gladwell, Tony Morrison and Jude Apatow, and created an eclectic reading list for the restaurant’s customers to enjoy while they munch.
Each essay is accompanied by a unique set of illustrations that enhances the visual experience of using these disposable cups and bags—according to the project’s website, the question is, “Must a cup, or a bag, suffer an existence that is limited to one humble purpose, defined merely by its simple function?”
While it may be difficult to find fault with the idea of providing interesting reading materials while one dines alone, some—like writer Drew Magary—have expressed displeasure at how the campaign has been marketed. In Magary’s article for The Concourse, he ranted about the arrogance of the project, which is “being pitched as a ‘democratic’ way to give Americans who ‘don't have access to libraries, or bookstores’ good reading material”.
You can read an interview with Jonathan Safran Foer on Vanity Fair or read all the essays from the project here—what do you think of this unconventional fast food packaging?
[via Vanity Fair, Gizmodo]