Tim Hortons’ above-the-line advertising in Quebec has been very relevant to Quebecers when it comes to supporting a campaign that resonates with them. They see themselves in the advertising, and while they are aware the QSR is not a Quebec company, they appreciate a brand that speaks to them as if it were. In order to further its relevancy to Quebecers, the goal was to create an emotional bond between Quebecers and the brand in a strong local initiative.

When the Montreal Canadiens played against their biggest rivals, the Boston Bruins, in the 2014 NHL playoffs, the timing was perfect to come up with a tactical promotional activity that would feature an iconic Tim Hortons product: the Boston Cream Donut. That’s why Tim Hortons jumped on the opportunity to cheer for the Habs in its own unique way. The theme behind the idea was quite simple: « Boston... On va les manger » / “Boston, we’re going to eat them.”

On May 6, the day of the third game of the series, momentum was on Montreal’s side. Tim Hortons took advantage of the situation to display its support for the Habs in the local papers and in its restaurants all over the city, as well as on its social media platforms. To push the idea further, Tim Hortons announced on Facebook that all donuts sold at its Bell Centre restaurants would be strictly Boston Cream in order to show its support for the Montreal team.

Since the momentum was even stronger for the next game, on May 8, Tim Hortons decided to design special mocked-up boxes of Boston Cream donuts, which were delivered in-person to key media stations to spread the news. The Boston Cream Donut stunt received attention from TV shows, radio stations, sports announcers, hockey influencers and marketing blogs. Moreover, it garnered more than 80,000 likes and shares on Facebook and 800,000 overall estimated impressions on Twitter.