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The best ad for an iOS app you may ever see

Chipotle brings all the beauty and joy of Moonbot Studios to sell an iPhone app -- and, at the same time, decry factory farming.

Chris Matyszczyk
The story begins. Chipotle/YouTube Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET

When your ethos revolves around being healthier-than-thou and a little holier-than-thou, it's possible to lurch into sanctimoniousness.

But how can you be sanctimonious when you're launching an iOS app? You can, I suppose, but you shouldn't.

Instead, Chipotle has clearly spent a lot of time and money to make something that, once you watch, disarms you entirely to its beliefs and therefore its food, and makes you want to download its app.

Which is actually a game app called "Chipotle Scarecrow.".

I am grateful to The Week for happening upon this ad, which features Fiona Apple singing and Moonbot Studios (the people behind The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore) animating.

There's an aggressive message here about Big Food being Big Beelzebub.

There's pointed reference to drugging animals and "Beef-ish" meat.

It could all have been so sickeningly dry and preachy. But Chipotle knows that, at heart, as well as being slightly hisptery, you're something of a venal gamer.

So it encourages you to "tilt and tap your way through four unique worlds to protect vulnerable veggies, rescue caged animals, and bring fresh food to the citizens of Plenty, all while dodging the menacing Crowbots."

But, as so many brands learn (or don't) the hard way time after time, it's how it lures you to the game that is quite brilliant.