Tim Hortons was in need of a boost in the form of younger guests.

In Canada, Tims isn't just a quick-service restaurant; it's an institution that most Canadians have grown up with over the last 60 years. But with the average customer age at 43, Tims needed to become more relevant to a younger audience, especially after the pandemic changed the commuting habits of Canadians and significantly reduced the primary source of traffic for Tim Hortons restaurants.

Our challenge? A game-changing program that would:

Goal 1: Punch above its weight in boosting sales

KPI: 2% increase in same store sales.

Goal 2: Drive traffic with younger Canadians

KPI: 35% incremental visits amongst 18-34

Goal 3: Generate value through earned media efficiencies

KPI: Drive $1,5 million worth of earned efficiencies.

Goal 4: Earn reappraisal with younger Canadians

KPI: 10% lift in “feel better” or “much better” about the brand.

Tims has always been a brand that creates products that become iconic markers of Canadian identity. Products like the iconic Canadian coffee order "double double," or everyone's childhood favourite treat - "Timbits." To re-establish a connection with young Canadians, Tims needed to draw on their heritage to create Canada's next iconic, identity-defining product - one that could spark a new wave of Canadian culture and reinvigorate the business.

But they couldn't do it alone. They needed to partner up with someone who represented contemporary Canada to help them earn reappraisal with younger Canadians.

They partnered up with Justin Bieber to revamp Tim Hortons’ most iconic product, the Timbit. The original Timbit has been around for generations and is Canada's favourite treat. For the first time ever, the brand invited a guest to remix its timeless product according to their personal taste. It was a true 50/50 collaboration that drew inspiration from Justin's childhood favourites and involved co-creating every aspect of the collaboration including the three new flavours, the name, visual identity, packaging, and merchandise.

By bringing together two Canadian icons, Tims tapped into a strong sense of Canadian identity and "Timbiebs" quickly became known as "the most Canadian collaboration ever."

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the restaurant industry hard, eliminating the daily commute for many Canadians and significantly impacting sales for Tims. The brand needed a game-changing program to attract a new, younger audience and generate traffic and sales.

Creative challenge:

Once a beloved icon, Tims had become out of touch, appealing primarily to an older audience. It was time for a change - a revitalization of the brand to reconnect with its audience and reclaim its position as an enduring Canadian icon.

Insight:

Canadian youth are lacking Canadian references to get excited about. It gets even worse when their identity is solely defined by comparison to their American neighbours.

Creative solution:

The goal was simple: make the old-school Canadian brand be a source of pride for young Canadians. But Tims couldn’t do it alone. They needed to team up with the right partner who would help us earn reappraisal.

Tims put together a tight set of criteria that would align the iconic Tims brand with the perfect partner to help us get there; someone who was:

A real fan. They had to have a documented love for Tim Hortons.

A bonafide Canadian icon, proud of their heritage.

A legit household name with tons of street cred.

Enter Justin Bieber - the world knows him as a mega influential super-star, but Tims knew him as a young boy who loved coming to their restaurants for donut holes. After all, Justin got his start busking on the steps of his local Tim Hortons in the small town of Stratford, Ontario!

They partnered up to revamp Tim Hortons’ most iconic product, the Timbit. This was a true 50/50 partnership, not only drawing inspiration from Justin’s childhood faves, but collaborating with Justin himself, including not just the flavour and the recipe, but the name, visual identity, packaging and merchandise too.

The result was "Timbiebs": three mouth-watering new flavours of timbits that took Canada by storm.

By bringing together two Canadian icons, Tims tapped into a strong sense of Canadian identity and TimBiebs quickly became known as "the most Canadian collaboration ever." In doing so the campaign was embraced by Canadians who made it exponentially larger than Tims could’ve imagined.

Execution:

The fully integrated English and French campaign launched across multiple channels, including TV, OOH, radio, social, in-store, and digital. The campaign celebrated Justin's authentic passion for the brand and featured the co-creation process at every stage, from brainstorming to modelling the merch. Over 300 digital channel placements, customised content, and performance-driven media takeovers, as well as exclusive content for Tims Team Members and app users, were included in the campaign. A full takeover of Toronto's busiest intersection during the launch week made the campaign impossible to ignore. The media was also accompanied by an exclusive line of merch, designed in partnership with Justin.

The campaign's success was rooted in Justin's genuine love and admiration for the Tims brand, making it more than just a celebrity partnership but an expression of modern Canadian culture.