Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Skinny Jeans]

Who else is ridiculously excited for "Roll Up The Rim To Win" season!?
I saw somebody walking down the street with one of the Tim Hortons cups on my way to work and I got so excited

Also let us know what you won!
so far I got one free coffee

[0bsessions]

Um. What?

[Liz]

You're not Canadian, this doesn't apply to you. Please move along.

[imboden]

All I ever win are invites to play again. 

[Johnny C]

Um. What?

Tim Hortons Inc. is a coffee-and-doughnut fast food restaurant chain. Founded in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1964, the store rapidly expanded across Canada to become the country's largest quick-service food chain.

Tim Hortons franchise stores are plentiful in Canadian cities and towns. As of July 1, 2007, there were 2,733 outlets in Canada, 345 outlets in the United States and one outlet just outside Kandahar, Afghanistan. Tim Hortons has supplanted McDonald's as Canada's largest food service operator; it has nearly twice as many Canadian outlets as McDonald's, and its system-wide sales surpassed those of McDonald's Canadian operations in 2002. The chain accounted for 22.6% of all fast food industry revenues in Canada in 2005. Tim Hortons commands 76% of the Canadian market for baked goods (based on the number of customers served) and holds 62% of the Canadian coffee market (compared to Starbucks, in the number two position, at 7%).

...From March until May of each year, Tim Hortons holds a very large marketing campaign called Roll Up The Rim to Win. Over thirty million prizes are distributed each year, ranging in value from vehicles to televisions, to store products. Customers determine if they have won prizes by unrolling the rim on their paper cup when they have finished their drink, revealing their luck underneath.

Advertising for the contest is always very aggressive. The ubiquitous Tim Hortons ads on the boards of hockey rinks change from the normal "Tim Hortons" signage to a "Rrroll up the Rim" display; the timing of the promotion also is key because it is during the height of the NHL season, ensuring that viewers across North America will see the ads. Television and other media are inundated with advertisements that repeat the "R-r-roll up the R-r-im to Win" slogan and encourage the recitation of the phrase using rolled R's to match the announcer's delivery.

Prizes are not distributed randomly country-wide; each of the company's distribution regions has its own odds for prize-winning.

In March 2006, two families were fighting over the Toyota RAV4 SUV prize of C$32,000 value after their daughters found a winning "roll up the rim" coffee cup in a garbage bin of an elementary school in Saint-Jérôme, north of Montreal. The younger girl had found a cup in the garbage bin and could not roll up the rim, so requested the help of an older girl. Once the winning cup was revealed, the older girl's family stated that they deserved the prize. Tim Hortons originally stated that they would not intervene in the dispute. A further complication arose when Quebec lawyer Claude Archambault requested a DNA test be done on the cup. He claimed that his unnamed client had thrown out the cup and was the rightful recipient of the prize. On April 19, 2006, Tim Hortons announced that they had decided to award the prize to the parents of the girl who had initially discovered the cup.

I vaguely recall starting a thread on this forum about that lawsuit, as well.

[0bsessions]

If the case was settled in April of 2006, I didn't see anything on here about it. I didn't join up until just under a year ago.

[Skinny Jeans]

Actually the odds of wining a coffee, tea, cookie, or doughnut are 1 in 3 i believe
they also give away free bagels, sandwiches, soups, and as the wiki qoute above stated bigger prizes such as tv's and automobiles

I work as a supervisor in an xbox call center and am currently pulling 12 hour shifts
I pretty much depend on Tim Hortons to get me through my shift, so this is a very joyus time of the year for me!

[valley_parade]

This "Tim Horton's" sounds like a canucky Dunks, only named after that old hockey player.


I suppose "Terry O'Reilly's Coffee Emporium" doesn't have the same ring to it.

[Ozymandias]

I know McDonalds does the Monopoly thing and when I was younger, at least, I would want to go there more often to try to complete my Monopoly board.

It's not really that you keep trying until you win, it's that you opt to go there over someplace else just in case.

[amok]

Exactly.

It's not that they need more publicity moreso that they want more money.

[Yakob]

It's not really that you keep trying until you win, it's that you opt to go there over someplace else just in case.

Realisticly, there really isn't a "someplace else". Starbucks locations are scarce up here (in Nova Scotia at least), so Tim's is the only place to get your fast food chain coffee fix.

[Lines]

Starbucks locations are scarce up here

You say this as if it's a bad thing.

[jhocking]

Who knows, it could be a certain amount of pride/tradition driving Tim Horton's.  It's sort of like how entertaining Superbowl ads are more about media tradition these days than about actual marketing effectiveness.

[Skinny Jeans]

Starbucks locations are scarce up here

You say this as if it's a bad thing.

$1.75 > $3.50 For a coffee

Just Saying!

[Bibliophile]

There's heaps of Starbucks here in B.C. I prefer Starbucks because I don't actually like coffee, but Starbucks has fancy drinks and chai tea. But I do go to Timmy's for doughnuts and last roll up the rim to win "season" anytime Jesse and I went for doughnuts I also got a hot smoothie... Simply in an attempt to win something. (No, I didn't win anything.)

Anyway, so that was maybe 4 or 5 drinks I would not have otherwise bought. Imagine the money from people who go every morning on the way to work? Or people who switch to Timmy's just during the roll up season? Some guy even patented a "labour-saving device" for the damned things - http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=26046197-4029-4e3d-9c71-37fa27067de0&k=60421

[Lines]

$1.75 > $3.50 For a coffee

Just Saying!

Well, as I'm not Canadian and don't drink coffee, I don't think it's a bad thing there are not so many Starbucks in the world. Actually, there are too many, as they've been having to close some Starbucks because they built too many shops. Silly Starbucks.

[Skinny Jeans]

In Houston (where I used to live) there was an intersection with a starbucks at all 4 corners
I was confused as to which one to go to!

[0bsessions]

$1.75 > $3.50 For a coffee

Man, my High School math teacher would like to have a word with you.

[Bibliophile]

In Houston (where I used to live) there was an intersection with a starbucks at all 4 corners
I was confused as to which one to go to!

Whichever one you don't have to cross a road for! I've seen corners with 3 starbucks. You just go to the closest, unless you are on the one corner with no Starbucks. Then you cross at whichever light changes first.

Then you get fat from all the laziness and whipped cream.

Science!

[jhocking]

Well, as I'm not Canadian and don't drink coffee, I don't think it's a bad thing there are not so many Starbucks in the world. Actually, there are too many, as they've been having to close some Starbucks because they built too many shops. Silly Starbucks.

Did you know that the closest two Starbucks are in Portland, OR? They are twelve feet apart. I read that yesterday in a book my fiancee has called Starbucked. Can you imagine seeing two freaking Starbucks stores twelve feet from each other?

[ruyi]

If you buy a coffee and you win, that's just great for you. If you didn't win, would you go back and buy another coffee until you did? I don't see it. What do Tim Horton's gain from this?

I guess it comes down to simple publicity but man, Tim Horton's no longer needs to advertise in Canuckistan. Let's face it. I spend a fair amount of time in the Great White North and I'm scared of dropping my pants to take a shit in case they try to build a Tim Horton's in there. If by some miracle I go for a day or so without seeing a Tim Horton's, I'm not going to panic and assume they went out of business. I don't understand why they need any more publicity.

Corporations! I do not understand you.

maybe it's become so big amongst the canadian public, like christmas or something, that their patrons would be very upset if they didn't continue?

anyways i am hungry. itt pictures of food from tim horton's please!

[Lines]

Did you know that the closest two Starbucks are in Portland, OR? They are twelve feet apart. I read that yesterday in a book my fiancee has called Starbucked. Can you imagine seeing two freaking Starbucks stores twelve feet from each other?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[jhocking]

maybe it's become so big amongst the canadian public, like christmas or something

Stop copying me!

[Patrick]

The worst I've seen was something like 5 stores apart in an airport.

Also, Joe, we don't care, Roo's cuter and therefore we do not care.

[jhocking]

[Patrick]

Joe do you just have a file in Notepad that you save picture URLs on?

[jhocking]

My photobucket account is pretty much just for posting images on this forum. As such, it is easy for me to find images I've posted here before; it's all just in my photobucket album.

You should definitely steal itborrow and forget to return it

way ahead of you

[Johnny C]

From my understanding of it, Starbucks actually has some measure of a positive connection to fair trade and other equity issues, which is more than can be said for Tim's. I drink most of my coffee (and hold most of my coffee-related social outings) at a couple of locally-owned places, so I'm fuzzy on both, really. However, I do love Tim's donuts.

Incidentally, for those of you comparing Tim's to Dunkin Donuts, you have never eaten a proper donut and you are a base plebe.

[Drill King]

Personally, I do not enjoy coffee, however the fact that I get to roll up practically all my friends rims is super fun.

A fellow from my town won a TV off a cup he picked up off the street.

[Skinny Jeans]

Drink hot chocolate and give yourself your own rim-job 

[redglasscurls]

Skinny Jeans, I am going to figure how to jump through the internet just to jack the bike in your avatar.

[Inlander]

Man, doesn't North America have any non-chain coffee shops? Here in Melbs if want a coffee I've got a dozen or so stand-alone cafes within a ten minute walk. If I want some crap-in-a-cup the nearest Starbucks is a fifteen-minute tram-ride away.

Incidentally, I read an interesting article a few weeks ago that said that Starbucks can actually boost the business of small cafes in the same neighbourhood. Apparently a number of cafes have found their business booming after a Starbucks opened up nearby. The thinking is that the Starbucks, through the power of its brand recognition, will pull people into the area who wouldn't normally go there. However a lot of those people are just after "coffee" rather than "Starbucks coffee", and they may even be after "good coffee", so a sizable number of them will wander into the smaller cafe and spend their money there. I wish I could remember what newspaper the article originally appeared in.

[Skinny Jeans]

I personally love local coffee shops alot more, it's just the "roll the rim to win" time where I'm excited to drink Timmies!
Something about printing a couple words under the rim of a paper cup fascinates me.

I'm way to easily amused

[Lines]

Yes, we have independent shops, but people are obsessed with chains. Personally, I don't get it - I don't get chains and I don't get fancy coffees. As for teas and whatnot, as I don't drink coffee, I prefer what the independent places offer, because the brands they use are better and they have a more interesting variety.

I also think the idea of going to Starbucks while White Castle is supposed to have one of the best coffees is kind of funny.

[ruyi]

it definitely varies from region to region. here in berkeley non-chain coffee shops are the norm, for example. perhaps it is true that north america generally has more chain places though. also: maybe more multi-national coffee-chains originate from north america? i am not sure.

[est]

The reason some people go to chain coffee stores is the same reason people go to chain fast-food joints.  Uniformity of product, or at least some attempt thereof.  If you don't know much about coffee and are in some place you aren't familiar with and just want a cup of coffee you will probably go to a place like Starbucks or (over here, at least) Gloria Jeans because of the illusion that ever coffee will be the same, no matter which store you buy it from.  In reality you could get two coffees from the same store on different days and they'll be markedly different due to them being made by different people, but whatever.

If you are a fan of good coffee or you like poking around in the smaller shops then you'll probably just take the chance with one and try to remember for next time or perhaps try to find out what brand of coffee they serve to see if it's a brand you like. But the majority of people who have a cafe coffee every once in a while and don't really pay much attention to the brands, etc probably couldn't be fucked to bother with that.  Going to a chain store is far more convenient for them.

[E. Spaceman]

Dang, who would have ever thought i  would write this.

Starbucks is not at all a bad company. They treat their employees much better than independent coffee shops, they are more environmentally friendly, their coffee is mostly fair trade, and the people taking your order are less likely to be dicks. Now, none of the above are things i really care about, and i don't even drink coffee anymore, but it is really quite silly to complain about starbucks. I mean, this computer was probably assembled by starving malay children.

[RallyMonkey]

All of the coffee shops around here have really crappy coffee. I mean extremely bad. I would go for a Starbucks over any of the local shops taste wise any day.

[Jimmy the Squid]

I went to a Starbucks yesterday (I didn't get anything, I just danced to the smooth jazz playing over the speakers while my girlfriend ordered a coffee and tried not to look mortified). It was a good experience, I annoyed a business woman in the queue behind us and I ended up getting a punch in the solar plexus for "being weird."

Incidentally I was later told that the coffee was terrible. I opined that if you want good coffee you should probably have it prepared by a barista (not prounounced barrister, it turns out) instead of some high school kid making minimum wage who can't use a cash register. I got punched again.

[Patrick]

(snip) this computer was probably assembled by starving malay children.

This, of course, nullifies every argument for no-sweatshop labor on the forum.

I will go buy more Chuck Taylors now.

[Tom]

Crazy north Americans and their caffeinated piss-water even the coffee vending machine at my high school makes better coffee. I will be quiet now.

[David_Dovey]

Hooray for Starbucks!

Now if only they made decent coffee, we could do a merry jig.

EDIT: This post was only half sarcastic, for the record.

[est]

Please note that I didn't say anything about their merit as a company!

[McTaggart]

Is there even a starbucks in Perth?

Also, this whole thread feels like an ad.

[Lalaladida]

I don't mind Starbucks coffee (I don't drink coffee out very often though) but their tea is awful. The earl grey is, at least, I don't think I've had any other kind.

And Tim Hortons is alright. I eat the donuts sometimes but I really don't like the roll up with rim thing. It's so wasteful, even more than the usual masses of garbage the shop produces. Everyone gets a paper cup with their drink, even if they stay in the store and drink it out of a mug or bring their own thermos, just so that they can roll up a tiny section on the top of the cup.

[David_Dovey]

McTaggart, I'm pretty sure there's not! I've had it elsewhere.

[valley_parade]

Man, doesn't North America have any non-chain coffee shops?

I spend most of my free time in a cafe in my town. So yes.

[IronOxide]

I like non-chain places largely because I don't know any chains that make bubble tea. However, this means that when I go to one of our local non-chain coffee shops, I just end up getting the bubble tea instead of the other great beverages they make.

[Lines]

Starbucks is not at all a bad company.

I don't think anyone was saying that they were a bad company. The ones I've been in have very nice employees, they make decent chai, and I really like their baked goods. But honestly, the only time I ever go there is when my mom gives me a gift card someone gave her because they thought she drinks coffee. (She hates coffee more than I do.) The only thing that really bothers me is how many stores there are. Having 10+ stores in a mile radius is ridiculous.

And Lalaladida is right - their tea (that isn't chai) is not good. Even honey or milk and sugar does not make it taste better. It always has a slight burnt taste and I know it's not because I'm letting the bag seep for too long, as I take it out once it's been in long enough.

[valley_parade]

Decent chai from a Starbucks? The only ones I've had were really watered down.