Tim Hortons, Canada’s largest quick service restaurant chain, continued to marketing around ice hockey in October with a campaign promoting its ‘Timbits Minor Sports Hockey Program’ with a ‘kids say the funniest things’ style campaign fronted by NHL super stars Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon.
The campaign was guided by research which found that 67% of parents thinks youth sports is too serious and so Tim Hortons decided to ask the experts to come up with ideas to solve this problem.
The resulting creative is led by a spearhead commercial, debuting on air on 24 October, in which genuine kids in the Timbits programme are asked how they wold make ice hockey more fun for young players.
Crosby (of the Pittsburg Penguins) and MacKinnon (of Colorado Avalanche) – who are both former Timbits kids themselves, ask a group of children what they would change about ice hockey practice.
And the answers are as quirky and cute as might be expected – farting ‘whoopee cushion’ style goalkeeper pads, pinatas on the rink and plenty of puppies slipping and sliding on the ice (10,000 at least).
The hero spot was supported by a set of social media content across Instagram and Twitter which all aimed to channel viewers to learn more about Timbits Hockey at https://timhortons.com/timbitshockey.
The children featured are all part of the brand’s youth ice hockey league programme for kids aged between four and nine which is focused on fun, friendship, and learning a new sport.
The brand backed Timbits Minor Sports Program is a community-oriented sponsorship program with a philosophy not based on winning or losing, but on learning a new sport, making new friends, and just being a kid.
The campaign was created by experiential advertisement created by Zulu Alpha Kio, Canada where the team included Chief Creative Officer Zak Mroueh, Group Creative Directors Catherine Allen and Ian Simpson, Art Directors Kevin Sato and Rose Sauquillo, Writer Vinay Parmar, Accounts Hilary Roberts, Lauren Boultwood and Anjelica Kapetanos, Strategic Planners Maxine Thomas, Liam Brown and Stephanie Gyles, with Agency Producers Rebecca Adams and Christine Taranco
The media agency was Horizon where the group included Planners Robyn Van Driel and David Mear and the French agency was The French Shop (TFS) where the team included Account Manager Gabrielle Papineau and Producer Julie Lorazo.
The production house was the Ad Hoc Content Production Company and the spots were directed by Docter Twins with Production House Line Producer Ian Fingland, Production House Executive Producers Sally Leggett and Jill Godbold and Director of Photography Jackson Parrell.
Casting was by Jigsaw Casting, video editing and post was Zulubot with Editors Max Lawlor and Micah Rix-Hayes, with post handled by Alter Ego where the team included Compositor Joel Osis, Post Production Producers Pallavi Joshi-Firby and Colourist Eric Whipp.
Audio Post and music was by Eggplant Music & Sound where the audio director was Adam Damelin, the producer was Nicola Treadgold and the engineer was Dan Horton.
Comment:
In the US and the UK, creative and TV execs would describe this campaign as ‘kids say the funniest things meet ice hockey.
But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a fresh funny side.
Original? No!
Sweet and fun and compelling through its authenticity? Yes!
Plus the earnestness of the two players and the way agency Zulu Alpha Kilo created the campaign without ostentation supports the umbrella concept of helping Timbits kids have fun.
Tim Hortons supports more than 300,000 children on teams in hockey, soccer, ringette, lacrosse, softball and baseball leagues in Canada and the United States and the sponsorship includes jerseys, participation medals and a Timbits player gift for each player.
Adding to the fun, Timbits teams are often invited to attend Canadian Hockey League (CHL), National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Soccer (MLS) games to catch the action and showcase their skills between periods.
The restaurant brand, which specializes in coffee and doughnuts items, has worked with Crosby and MacKinnon before.
Indeed, this campaign follows on from last month’s hockey work from the coffee and donuts chain which was also fronted by the same pair of players and promoted ‘Tim Hortons NHL Trading Card: Sid & Nate’s Hockey Card Delivery’.
Buy your pack, find the pin, enter it online collect to win! Cool prizes include a chance to meet Sid (the real one). pic.twitter.com/VoQWrF3eU5
— Tim Hortons (@TimHortons) October 7, 2019
Sid & Nate kick off Tim Hortons hockey card season by taking hockey cards to the streets. Score your Tim Hortons NHL trading cards while supplies last. Plus, play on the app or collectowin.ca for the chance to meet Sid.
Feel like a GM! Join us for one of our Hockey Card Trading Nights. For more information, visit: https://t.co/1IfkG8Jfbf pic.twitter.com/qGJM6ye7sT
— Tim Hortons (@TimHortons) October 8, 2019
While previous Zulu Alpha Kilo (Canada) work for Tim Hortons includes 2018’s brilliant ‘The Away Game’,
plus 2016’s ‘Trading Card’ campaign (see case study) and 2015’s ‘Drive Through Rookies’ (see case study).
Links:
Timbits Minor Sports
https://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/corporate/timbits-minor-sports-program.php
Tim Hortons
https://timhortons.com/timbitshockey
https://www.youtube.com/user/TimHortons
https://www.facebook.com/TimHortons
https://twitter.com/timhortons
https://www.instagram.com/timhortons/
Zulu Alpha Kilo
https://www.zulualphakilo.com/
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.