Bieber is a Stratford, Ontario native who has made no secret over the years of his passion for the Canada-born coffee-and-donut chain, a division of Restaurant Brands International. Officials of the company are likewise fans of Bieber. They credit Timbiebs for helping to spark an 11.3% same-store sales gain at Tim Hortons during RBI’s fiscal fourth quarter, prompting CEO Jose Cil to declare “I’m a Belieber” during a conference call, referencing the term used to describe the singer’s biggest fans.
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“Timbiebs was a huge success—truly beyond all of our expectations—and what made it so great was the authenticity of the partnership,” Hope Bagozzi, chief marketing officer for Tim Hortons, said in a statement. “Even before the Timbiebs collaboration, Justin had often shared with fans how he’d grown up with Tim Hortons and was obsessed with the brand. His commitment to working with us to develop a natural and authentic twist on the Tims experience is what made Timbiebs a hit and we know guests are going to love Biebs Brew and his take on Tims Cold Brew.”
More than a decade after arriving as a top-selling teenage singer—his 2010 debut album “My World 2.0,” made him the youngest artist with a Billboard No. 1 album since 13-year-old Stevie Wonder in 1963—Bieber is proving he can still chart marketing hits. In addition to outperforming expectations for Timbiebs, a practice hockey jersey designed for the Toronto Maple Leafs by Bieber’s Drew House fashion label earlier this year became an NHL leaguewide top-seller. And in 2021, Bieber launched a line of pre-rolled joints with Palms under the "Peaches" brand name.
Tim Hortons is leveraging Bieber's star power to support its strategic goals. In a presentation for Canadian investors earlier this month, Bagozzi noted that the chain saw a big growth opportunity in iced coffee. It launched cold brew coffee one year ago.
“Cold beverages represent a C$4.5 billion market in Canada,” Bagozzi said, according to a Sentieo transcript. “And they are critical to our efforts to modernize the brand and be relevant to younger guests.”
New creative including a tv commercial, radio, out-of-home, website, paid and organic social and influencer marketing are planned for the U.S. and Canada around the Biebs Brew launch. Agencies involved are Gut, Craft, Alison Brod Marketing + Communications, The French Shop, Media Monks, Horizon, Boy in the Castle, Grayson Music, Rooster, and The Vanity. The brand did not reveal what it was spending on the campaign.
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Timbiebs, sold in chocolate white fudge, sour cream chocolate chip, and birthday cake waffle flavors, supported Tim Hortons’ ambitions to create excitement through menu innovations. Bieber starred in a TV spot from agency Gut for last year's collaboration, showing the singer brainstorming flavor ideas with the eager encouragement of a Tim Hortons executive.
Tim Hortons is offering U.S. customers a “Biebs Bundle,” which includes a large Biebs Brew and a 10-pack of Timbiebs, for $5 when ordered through the Tims mobile app. U.S. stores will also be bringing back limited quantities of Timbiebs merchandise, including the beanie, fanny pack, and tote bag that were developed as part of the initial rollout. Guests who buy any Tims x Justin Bieber merchandise can get 50% off a second item, the company announced.
