Tim Hortons has teamed up with pop celebrity Justin Bieber to launch three new Timbit flavours — known as Timbiebs — together with co-branded merchandise.
The superstar endorsement deal marks a departure from the espresso and doughnut chain’s standard lineup {of professional} hockey gamers, a advertising and marketing technique that would entice new prospects.
“It helps them enchantment to a youthful demographic, which is one thing they desperately must do,” mentioned retail analyst Bruce Winder. “Justin Bieber is an effective alternative to attach with Gen Z and younger millennials.”
It might additionally assist Tim Hortons construct model consciousness in the US, the place the restaurant faces stiff competitors from chains like Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks.
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“The U.S. is a really crowded espresso market and Tim Hortons has struggled down there,” Winder mentioned. “Justin Bieber is massively widespread within the U.S., so this might assist them.”
The partnership aligns with the Canadian singer’s frequent social media posts concerning the restaurant, which have ranged from snapshots of a holiday-themed Tims cup to complaints a few new lid.
The Stratford, Ont.-raised performer has shared posts way back to a decade in the past about lacking Tim Hortons whereas travelling outdoors Canada.
“Doing a Tim Hortons collab has at all times been a dream of mine,” Bieber mentioned in an announcement. “I grew up on Tim Hortons and it’s at all times been one thing near my coronary heart.”
Hope Bagozzi, chief advertising and marketing officer for Tim Hortons, mentioned his “real love and engagement” with the model made the collaboration genuine.
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“Justin is so fervent in how a lot he loves Tims,” Bagozzi mentioned in an interview. “That’s the good recipe for a collaboration. It’s not pressured.”
Whereas hockey will “at all times be a part of our DNA,” she mentioned the superstar partnership with Bieber will assist attain new prospects.
“It opens us as much as a distinct viewers and a distinct dialog past simply hockey,” Bagozzi mentioned. “Justin has broad enchantment, however undoubtedly does enchantment to youthful visitors.”
Nabbing Bieber — one of many best-selling music artists of all time — represents a serious coup for the chain.
But it surely’s not the primary time Tim Hortons has collaborated with a Canadian musician.
In 2019, the corporate teamed up with Pickering, Ont., singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes forward of his sold-out stadium present in Toronto that September. The marketing campaign, themed House is The place the Coronary heart, included restricted version cups.
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The genesis of Tim Hortons’ collaboration with Justin Bieber began only a few months later. The celebrity waded right into a heated debate over Tim Hortons’ lid redesign by launching a ballot on his Instagram account in December 2019.
“That was the beginning of a dialog,” Bagozzi mentioned. “He was fairly eager to do one thing with us, so it’s been virtually two years within the making.”
She declined to touch upon the price of the collaboration, however known as it a “worthwhile funding.”
The partnership comes at a time when many musicians have gone months with with the ability to tour or carry out to massive crowds.
Whereas retail professional Winder mentioned Bieber has possible misplaced income on account of pandemic restrictions stopping massive exhibits, he identified that the singer simply launched an album in March.
“One might argue that Tim Hortons might have needed to fork out extra as a result of Justin Bieber is a a lot greater and extra mainstream star,” he mentioned. “However he has a lot cash from his success, I don’t suppose that is actually a cash factor for him. He’s getting paid, however the motivation may be extra that it pulls at his heartstrings and reminds him about the place he grew up.”
The Timbiebs launch is being accompanied by two tv commercials, in English and French, that function the pop star brainstorming new Timbit flavours in an workplace boardroom.
“We most likely began with about 100 prospects,” Bagozzi mentioned. “We might ship him samples to try to he was very particular on what he appreciated and didn’t like. It was months within the making to land on these three flavours.”
Tim Hortons will roll out the limited-edition Timbiebs Timbits in chocolate white fudge, bitter cream chocolate chip, and birthday cake waffle on Nov. 29, solely in Canada and the US.
The restaurant can even have three merchandise objects on the market, with extra particulars anticipated within the coming weeks.
© 2021 The Canadian Press