Tim Hortons (literally) floated the idea of a new kind of experiential event – a drive-thru on water.
This weekend, the QSR’s “Boat-Thru” – developed and executed by Craft Public Relations – will cater to water craft on Lake Scugog, a popular recreational locale in Durham Region, Ontario, minutes from Port Perry.
On August 5 and August 6, Tim Hortons will give out free beverages to sailors, boaters and paddlers, without them having to dock. It’s timed to coincide with the annual Lake Scugog Regatta, a popular event now in its 93rd year.
“The summertime ‘Tims Run’ is an iconic Canadian tradition that’s a must-do when you’re gathering with family and friends,” says Hope Bagozzi, Tim Hortons’ CMO. “Our summers fly by so quickly and Canadians savour every moment of their long weekends – so we thought why not open our first-ever Tims ‘Boat-Thru’ so our guests on Lake Scugog don’t miss a minute on the water.”
The menu items the QSR is heroing include sparling quenchers, its line of fruity sparkling waters; caramel toffee cold brew; and vanilla iced latte. The company has been increasingly getting into menu items that expand beyond its usual coffee and donut offerings to include more cold beverages, as well as items like wraps and bowls with salad, rice and chicken to win lunch and afternoon dayparts.
Tim Hortons is also no stranger to doing offbeat experiential activations. In 2014, the QSR transformed a suburban Calgary home into one of its restaurant locations. That same year, Tims painted one of its Montreal-area locations pitch black to generate interest in its new dark roast offerings. And back in 2015, the brand teamed up with illusionist Darcy Oake for another marketing stunt in Quebec to launch its new creamy chocolate chill by surprising unsuspecting Tim Hortons staff and customers with a levitation.
In its May earnings call, parent company Restaurant Brands International (RBI) reported that Tims grew sales 15.5% compared with the same quarter last year, with net restaurant growth of 5.6%.
Craft is leading experiential and comms support, with Manual Arts designing the physical and floating components, including sourcing the vessel and building the structure on top.
