News

Tim Hortons taps social media celebrities for ugly sweater promotion

November 21, 2014

Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop is launching its 2014 holiday packaging and the "Tims Tacky Sweater" social campaign.

Fans are encouraged to share their tacky sweater moments on Twitter, Instagram and Vine using #TimsTackySweater. To reward them, the chain will be surprising and delighting hashtag users with prize packs all season long.

Tim Hortons' US restaurants also feature tacky sweater-branded packaging. The hot beverage cup's design is reminiscent of a vintage Fair Isle knit sweater, with the message: "Even our cups get dressed up for the holidays!"

According to a news release, Tim Hortons will also feature activations during America's Thanksgiving Parade, at regional Goodwill stores, with NHL and NFL teams and at local city events. Tacky Sweater Party ambassadors will also be visiting office holiday parties across the country, serving Tim Hortons Dark Roast coffee and the seasonal Dark Chocolate Hot Chocolate.

"This year we wanted to celebrate the holidays in a unique fashion," EVP Mike Meilleur said in the release. "Our 2014 holiday packaging allowed us to have a little fun and participate in the tacky sweater phenomenon in our own special way.  We wanted to embrace the tacky sweater and also encourage our US guests to show us their creativity and personal experience with the brand."

Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop teamed up with New York-based firm, Niche, and Columbus, Ohio-based firm, SEEN, to incorporate Internet celebrities into the campaign. These online personalities are curating tacky sweater content to be shared on their own and Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop social channels. They include:

• Toast Meets World – Toast is a King Charles Cavalier breed rescue that has 122,400 Instagram followers.
• KC James – Vine celebrity KC James entertains more than 4 million followers with comedy sketches.
• Hilary Knight – Knight is a professional hockey player with two Olympic Silver Medals, four World Championship titles and a more than 45K Twitter followers.

"There is so much clutter pushed out to consumers during the holidays," Meilleur said. "Our approach this year was to work with relatable, creative social innovators and actual guests to help us tell their holiday stories."