Tim Hortons' holiday ad features a heartwarming story about having to leave home under difficult circumstances and seeking a new life in a foreign land. The protagonist is a goose, but the story itself will have real resonance in a year in which this was the reality for many in Europe. And what's more, part of the campaign by the Canadian restaurant chain was created in partnership with a real-life Ukrainian refugee.

The whimsical TV ad, titled “KindNest,”created via Gut Toronto, centers on a Canada Goose as the welcoming figure who takes in newcomers, even if they’re from a different flock. (We'll allow that despite the fact that, in real life, Canada geese may not be entirely as friendly.)

To accompany the TV commercial, Tim Hortons co-developed “A Nest in the North” with Veronika Kotyk, an illustrator and graphic designer who made her journey to Canada from Ukraine in June 2022. “I'm extremely grateful for the chance to share a story so close to my own personal experiences and the experiences of many others who were forced to leave their 'nests' for different reasons,” said Kotyk in a statement.

The book is available to purchase as a hard-copy book or eBook at anestinthenorth.ca and 100 percent of proceeds from sales will be donated to the UN Refugee Agency.

“We knew with what’s happening all over the world that this is a story that needed to be shared, and it was even more impactful coming from Tims because of the brand’s inherent Canadian values,” said Brynna Aylward, executive creative director at Gut Toronto, in a statement.