Tim Hortons has enlisted Canadian actress – and Tims superfan – Maitreyi Ramakrishnan to launch its Dream Cookies.
In the hero spot, Ramakrishnan, who is best known for her leading role in the Netflix series Never Have I Ever, brings the new baked treats and iced coffees to a suburban backyard barbecue.
“In our ad spots, we like to lean on genuine Tims fans and real-life stories, so we thought what better way to launch our Dream Cookies than with a recognizable young Canadian who genuinely loves the brand,” says Hope Bagozzi, CMO for Tim Hortons. The QSR previously worked with other self-proclaimed Tims fan Justin Bieber on the “Timbiebs” and “Biebs Brew” campaigns.
The actress, who films the streaming series in Los Angeles, tweeted at the brand saying she missed it, which is what prompted an invite to the Tim Hortons Test Kitchen with her brother, who stars in the spot as well, as well as her mom.
According to Bagozzi, Dream Cookies were inspired by the QSR’s Dream Donuts, which resulted in more adventurous flavours like s’mores and Reese’s Peanut Butter cheesecake donuts and which came to market last summer.
“Cookies have always been a classic menu item at Tims, but our Dream Cookies elevate and reinvent the category for us,” Bagozzi explains. “They’re a delicious treat to celebrate your everyday and share with friends and family.”
The ad spot will begin airing across TV and social platforms beginning on Monday and run for four weeks. There will also be a launch event at the brand’s test kitchen hosted by Ramakrishnan and Tims’ director of culinary innovation Tallis Voakes, with a focus on earned influencer engagement, along with a morning of media interviews.
Gut produced the spot, with Craft Public Relations managing the PR. Horizon is handling traditional media and Media.Monks is handling digital media.
