Tim Hortons Drive Thru Ads

     An advertisement from the Tim Hortons drive thru showcasing various menu items and announcing Roll Up The Rim starting, taken around 11 AM. Placed in the drive thru, someone would only see this combination of ads if they had already decided to purchase something from Tim Hortons, making it effective at introducing new items but not at appealing to a larger audience. The three ads are placed on top of each other vertically in a single sign. Placed before the main menu and speaker for ordering, it visually entices the customer to purchase the newly added items by displaying them before you. 

     In the centre is an eye-catching red background with confetti for Roll Up The Rim that draws attention to the signboard. Text boasts “Get ready to Win again!” and to the left of that a phone is shown with the Roll Up logo, reminding the viewer again that they can simply “RRROLL UP TO WIN.” Under the text on the left in smaller font is the instructions on how to play “ON THE APP & ONLINE.” On the top of the signboard is an ad for the new fall flavors of desserts and drinks that are being offered. Delicious looking donuts, muffins and drinks are shown against a simple white background, placing the focus on the items themselves. Flavors like pumpkin and apple pie certainly bring a stereotype of the autumn season, shown by the text to the upper left proclaiming “Fall Flavours Are Here.” Finally, the bottom ad is a photo of a breakfast meal with a classic Tim Hortons brand coffee cup behind it, all against a white background. In the upper left corner “Wrap up Delicious with a Freshly Cracked Egg” tells the viewer what kind of meal is being offered and is offering freshness. In a smaller font on the bottom left, the points accumulated through their rewards system for a meal of this type is added. 

     Despite being one of the most well known franchises in Canada, recently they have been struggling with the rest of the food/restaurant industry during 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19. Labour shortages have been experienced across the board as pay is staying barely above minimum wage while work load, risk of infection, and job instability has only skyrocketed. Many owners of franchises are pointing to government assistance during COVID-19 for this shortage (1), but profits for Tim Hortons have only grown over the last 2 years while workers have struggled to make ends meet. Workers have started to speak up against these claims, saying that minimum wage is not enough anymore for the grueling hours they put into their- often multiple- jobs (2). Because of this shortage, establishments are cutting hours of operation to accommodate the few workers they have left. What this means for the future of the consumption of Tim Hortons as one of Canada’s household brands is yet to be determined. 

Works Cited

1.  https://globalnews.ca/news/8074332/tim-hortons-earnings-q2/

2.  https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/labour-shortage-restaurant-industry-1.6152353