Chipotle may fill our stomachs, but they're looking to burn a hole right through Frank Ocean's pocket. To be fair, he was payed by the Mexican Grill super chain around $212,500 to donate some vocals to their new marketing campaign, called "The Scarecrow." The Fiona Apple cover of the "Pure Imagination" song from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory" done for Chipotle; that was supposed Frank Ocean's cover.
This all stems back to a deal that Chipotle made with CAA for Frank Ocean. He agreed to do the song, which would accompany a video that seemed fairly tangential to the Mexican Grill hub. Trouble arose when Ocean grew angry at the fact that Chipotle featured their logo at the end of the video, therefore never provided the vocals. So, Frank Ocean was mad that Chipotle use their logo... in their own ad.
Chipotle says, “Ocean has been unjustly enriched," but Ocean's attorney's say:
"When Frank was asked to participate in this project, Chipotle's representatives told him that the thrust of the campaign was to promote responsible farming. There was no Chipotle reference or logo in the initial presentation, and Chipotle told Frank that was an intentional element of the campaign. Frank was also promised that he'd have the right to approve the master and all advertising."
As these things go, the issue will remain of the "he said, she said" affair until more issues come to light, or more likely - one settlement behind closed doors and a non-disclosure agreement later, we never hear of this again.
So who do you think is in the wrong here?
[via]
[Update: Ocean Cuts A Check, Writes "Fuck Off" On It]
Following the case going public, Frank Ocean has decided to reimburse Chipotle with the $212,500 he was paid for the campaign. He made sure to leave the company a message with his payment, writing an all caps "FUCK OFF" at the bottom of the check. He, of course, posted photographic evidence on his Tumblr.
No word on whether this will end in the settlement of the case. Take a look at the check in the gallery above.
