#hamilton to epic pipe line

[kastrullhaj]

The demon inside me that fed on Hamilton when I was fourteen has found EPIC

[formula-fun]

I listened to every song named after current f1 drivers (so you dont have to)

Max: some of these are hype songs a la pitstop boys, and most of the ones that aren't are pretty odd lowkey. A couple are literally just his entire life story rhymed and set to a beat which gives me Homer vibes so that's kinda cool. Some are...kinda weird. 6/10 Special mention to Max verstappen by Abad 33. Man wrote a biographical rap, amazing

Checo: the same 3 bands that write all the max stadium chants are also writing checo ones which is kinda sweet! a lot of these are directly about him rather than namedropping him--he has a higher ratio of these than other drivers. Also not just rap/dance tracks, some are more traditional Mexican music which is awesome. Overall no skips here, 9.8/10 Special Mention: Checo Perez by Alan Y Roberto

Charles: most of these are along the lines of "im sexy and fuckin cool and i feel like charles leclerc" but the vibes are there. have heard at least 3 that reference Max or make ver-stop-him type puns. Also several modern epic poetry vibes and a few kinda slow ones, very him. 8.2/10 Special Mention: Charles Leclerc by SAE. The one by Alexander Lewis is also kind of a mood but a little more hype

Carlos: some really lowkey beats here, kinda chill not too aggressive. The only issue here is I can't tell if theyre about him or his dad and they're more namedrops than bios so it's hard to tell. 6/10 for that reason but special mention for Carlos Sainz by teme

Lewis: can confirm Lewis Hamilton by geezy is a mood lowkey but based on the line "swear i drive like a ferrari, I'm all about the wins" I think maybe geezy does not watch formula 1. These are good though! Lot of bops in here. a LOT of songs abt this man. 9.5/10 Special mention for being the only one on this list to have a song he sang in, shoutout to Pipe feat XNDA

Pierre: he actually has a couple but some of them are weird as hell. Weirdly enough every one I've found is in English, maybe because Gasly is really easy to rhyme in English? not sure. 7/10. Special mention to Pierre Gasly by FeldaLeaf, featuring the classic line "Pierre Gasly driving the Tauri, bitch I'm the alpha I got people coming for me"

Lando: actually thought he'd have more but he only has a couple. One is a hype song and the other is his roller coaster one. Overall fun but not hits. 5/10 Special mention: Let's Go Lando! by Pitstop Boys

Valtteri: has quite a few which all have car noises and radio clips and are pretty heavy/hard rock. These feel like they maybe came from the Mercedes era because they're just generally full of rage but i kind of love that for him. 7.6/10 Special Mention: Bottas by Arcangel, which is only slightly about him but is heavy as hell

Fernando: please just go listen to El Nano by Melendi, this is the happiest fucking song ive ever heard in my entire life. It's from the Renault era and it sounds so 2000s and i had to translate the lyrics but theyre SO cute. when he gets in his renault? Magic alonso!!!!! <33333 he honestly has the best music so im giving him 15/10 hands down but please know its mainly because of El Nano

anyone who was not listed isn't on here because I found no songs named after them, very sorry (parody songs written from the perspective of certain drivers not included). Takeaways from this exercise: there is a lot of bad self-produced rap on spotify, some of it is pretty good, and in general people are writing music about this sport like its the fuckin Iliad or something which I think rules. In conclusion, thank you for reading and please stream El Nano

[nightmareonfilmstreet]

Dad-Bods and 6-Packs: The 14 Dreamiest Dads of Horror

Father’s Day is a day to let Dad know we care about him just as much as he cares about us. It is on this day that we celebrate the men who have been there to teach us, those that have guided us, protected us, and … made us swoon.

I know you’re thinking this is wrong, wrong, wrong and anyone who keeps tabs on the hot dads of others must have some sort of ‘daddy-issue’ of her own, but I can assure you I do not and this is all sorts of right if you can recognize a good looking man when you see one.

This is a list of  dad crushes and appreciated fathers of a very specific focus, leaving out the neighbors’ husbands and my friends’ dads (much to their relief). What we’re looking at here are the dads and father figures of the horror genre, an archetype that has since evolved by way of appearance and family involvement. Modern generations have appropriated the term ‘daddy’, once used to solely label our own fathers while we were children, to now refer to other attractive, older, men of all kinds including those with fit, rock hard abs to the worship of the ‘dad-bod’ in all its glory. We might as well enjoy the gratuity these casting directors have thrown at us and let our insides fill with butterflies before the gore and jump scares become a distraction.

Let’s take a taboo look at the dreamiest  daddies of horror, in every sense of the term you’d like to apply:

  Jesse Hellman in The Devil’s Candy

What line do I need to get in to meet a man that has great taste in music, has mad artistic skills, and has a super ripped body? While watching The Devil’s Candy, I kept thinking about how good of a dad Ethan Embry’s Jesse Hellman is to his daughter as he encourages her to be a confident individual, and how much I wanted to join their family. It’s clear to anyone with eyes that Ethan Embry has gone from playing the hopeless, hapless, friendzone inhabitant to the role of a bad-ass, hard core, head-banging king. His portrayal of Jesse Hellman has redefined the typical ‘dad’ image, bringing on a new wave of ‘cool dads’ to the horror genre. So metal. So devilishly hot.

The Devil’s Candy? More like The Eye Candy, am I right?

(Thanks, Keith!)

  Leo Barnes in The Purge Anarchy

I know how the typical saying goes, but in my experience I believe revenge is a dish best served piping hot and I consider Frank Grillo’s Sergeant Leo Barnes to raise mercury when it comes to that. The vengeful father is hellbent on taking full opportunity of murdering the man responsible for his young son’s death the night of the annual Purge, but he also has a tender heart for the innocent and helps them live through the night no matter the cost. Under that black trench coat, armored car, and dark smouldering look, Leo is a protective softie at heart. Major daddy vibes!

Leo, well, Grillo, gets bonus points for having great hair too.

  Michael Hamilton in The Cloverfield Paradox

Quite possibly the only one on this list that makes all of the right decisions while also being the most compassionate is Michael Hamilton (Roger Davies), husband to engineer Ava Hamilton. Ava leaves her husband back on Earth to board the orbiting Cloverfield Station  in hopes of saving the planet from a debilitating energy crisis. Aside from allowing her to go without so much as a plea, he is a real man who supports his wife’s intelligence, decisions, and abilities. Michael is the man running into the terrible unknown attack to offer his professional assistance when a more immediate crisis occurs. We learn that crisis is New York City being deconstructed by one of our favorite movie monsters, Clover. His care for a stranded little girl and sincere love for his wife stuck in space is a recipe for not only a good former dad, but also for a good man.

Plus… look at those biceps and appled cheek bones! I don’t know which I want to grab first. The Cloverfield Paradox lacked in a lot of areas, mostly in Michael Hamilton screen time.

  George Lutz in The Amityville Horror (2005)

Whether you’re attracted to men or not, I think everyone can back me up when I say Ryan Reynolds as George Lutz in the 2005 remake of The Amityville Horror is one of the hottest dads in cinema. That body of his would have me burning through firewood in hopes he’d go outside to chop some more so often that the ghosts would flee on their own from smoke inhalation quicker than the Lutz’s did. Who needs a priest?

Why the kids have such negative feelings about him becoming their stepdad is beyond me. I’d be willing, eagerly, to take up residency with George at the Amityville house, oozing walls and all.

  Lee Abbott in A Quiet Place

Anyone into the strong, silent type? If existing with John Krasinski’s Lee Abbott means a vow of silence, then consider me forever on ‘mute’. I think what makes Lee so appealing to viewers of this year’s breakout films, A Quiet Place, is the familiarity and comfort most of us have with him as loveable Jim of The Office, but Krasinski has since matured in both his career and his look. Lee is intelligent, bold, and, like Jim, a bit of a romantic. Silent swoon!

Say goodbye to the days of Krasinski playing the cute, sweet, funny co-worker and hello to the crafty, well-built, and handsomely bearded leading man we’d gladly sit tight in silence through the apocalypse for. Monopoly, anyone?

  Will in The Invitation

Speaking of quiet types, Logan Marshall-Green as the paranoid dinner guest Will in Karen Kusama’s The Invitation is one smoking brooder. Green has recently made a bit of a name for himself in the horror community with starring roles in M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller Devil and Leigh Whannell’s super charged Upgrade, but it’s this particular serious role of a grieving father suspicious of his ex-wife’s dinner party motives that has really drawn our attention. His tortured performance full of sizzling glances and lingering stares is intriguing and, despite the emotional pain he’s feeling over the loss of his son, is unfortunately quite sexy. Who wouldn’t want to haveWill sulking in their lap while running fingers through those long locks?

There is no mystery behind it, Will is the white hot flame of this slow burn.

  John Form in Annabelle

Have you ever met a man so smart, yet his common sense skills are a little… off? Dr. John Form is one of those guys. He is a clean cut, all American, Boy Scout of a man who is focused on achieving his goals and being enclosed within a white picket fence with his wife and growing family.

If you dig pleated pants, sweater vests, and having a hot dinner ready on the table for your husband when he arrives home from work (despite an obvious household haunting) then John is the ideal daddy. His pearly white smile and perfectly parted hair makes it a little easier to forgive him for ignorantly gifting his pregnant wife with a deadly, obviously creepy, conduit doll in Annabelle. It’s the thought that counts so we’ll gladly accept the sweet stupid sting from this handsome WASP.

  Johnathan Shannon in Wish Upon

Theres a clever saying people use down here in the south that applies well to Ryan Phillippe’s character Johnathan Shannon, in Wish Upon. It is used most commonly when someone wants to “politely” pity you without sounding mean: Bless is heart.

The role is not exactly ground-breaking front neither is the film, but it is Ryan Phillippe so naturally some part of you is going to react to his level of bad boy charm.

Normally, a man that can be found rummaging through the town’s trash cans as an all-day hobby is not truly an appealing quality I seek out in a man, but I’d be willing to make an exception here.

Imagine if he was your dad, or better yet, imagine if he was your friend’s dad? I knew exactly how Barb (Shannon Pursor who plays Phillippe’s daughter’s friend, but she will always be Barb) felt when she stared at him, mouth agape, while he pumped out some sizzling tunes from his saxophone. Oh yeah, did I mention he is a jazz musician? It’s not necessary for him to utter any of the poorly written lines for us to appreciate him for exactly what he is: a hot, dumpster diving, saxophone playing, widowed hoarder.

Yeah… I’d still go for him.

  Tom Witzky in Stir of Echoes

Kevin Bacon’s Tom Witzky is the hot, young dad on the block in Stir of Echoes. Though him and his wife have been forced from the party scene to settle in the more suburban part of town to raise their son, Tom still knows how to have a good time. He too is a modern, sexy rocker dad who appreciates a snug t-shirt and a good vinyl. I’d be okay with him destroying the backyard in search of a random dead girl’s body if it meant he’d do it shirtless each time.

I don’t want to objectify Bacon too much as he is a pretty talented actor, he’s just never really been my cup of tea aside from this film. Tom Witzky and his 90’s post-grunge demeanor must have me hypnotized…

  Seok-Woo in Train to Busan

Does anyone love a professionally dressed man in a tailored suit covered in sweat and blood as much as I do?

Workaholic Seok-Woo in Yeon-Sang ho’s epic South Korean zombie thriller Train to Busan might start off as an absent minded, selfish man trapped in the middle of a horrendous undead outbreak with his young daughter, but it’s his protective and ultimately selfless decisions that redeem him as a character and as a father. He is an extremely good looking and confident man that just needed a reality check. Being aware of the errors of his ways only makes him that much more attractive. If I was going to be trapped on a train I wouldn’t mind the uncomfortable claustrophobia nor the impending doom-by-zombies-masses if it meant he’d be close to me!

Sacrifice is always hot and always gets a guy extra points in this genre.

  Dr. Steven Murphy in The Killing Of a Sacred Deer

I briefly hesitated a little when adding Colin Farrell’s odd character from the divisive The Killing of A Sacred Deer mostly because of two reasons: 1. Out of all the dads on this list and in general, he’s pretty much the worst as far as decision making and being selfish and 2. His intimacy predelicition towards getting off on his wife acting like a corpse was decidedly a huge turn-off to me… or was it?

Thanks to some sage reasoning from a trusted fellow Contributor (Thanks, Tyler!), Dr. Steven Murphy made this list by the scrape of a scalpel. His intimacy kinks are not to be judged as he is, on the outside, hot all over. You know what they say about what goes on behind closed doors.

The thick handsome beard, hairy chest, kind eyes, the accent, and the fact that all of those are attached to Collin Farrell was enough to win me over (combined with a palette cleansing viewing of Sophia’s Coppola’s The Beguiled).

As much as I hate to admit, this cardiovascular surgeon did indeed get my heart pumping whether he liked that or not.

  Jim Hopper in Stranger Things

While Chief Jim Hopper is adult mourning the loss of his daughter at the start of Stranger Things, he is a reborn daddy the minute he takes in Eleven come the second season. Their relationship is absolutely adorable and pulls on our heartstrings in the best of ways.

But that’s not why Jim makes this list.

David Harbour, specifically as Hopper, has one of the best dad-bods in horror and science-fiction alike. I like 6-pack abs just as much as the next girl, but hugging up on a dad-bod like his is my heart’s truest desire. Hopper is a good looking testament to attractive beer guts everywhere and proves that dad-bod is THE real deal.

Average is sexy, so is a uniform. We totally dig it, guys.

  Adam Maitland in Beetlejuice

Though considerably a stretch, this suggested from another fellow Contributor (Thanks, Jessica!) couldn’t go unnoticed. Adam Maitland is not a father in Beetlejuice, but rather he acts like a dad to our favorite outsider, Lydia, and is certainly more of a father figure to her than her own. Adam’s willingness to step up to the plate when so many real fathers bow out, gives him enough dad credit to be considered for the list.

What really qualifies Alec Baldwin’s early role is that Adam is living and breathing (sort of) Dad-style incarnate. The khakis, the glasses, the belt, the plaid, the modeling hobby. Adam is all dad from the inside out without actually being one and for some, I’m assuming, psychologically explainable reason we find him to be completely crush-worthy, ironically hitting us right in our amorous feelings.

Adam is the one dad on this list we can safely fantasize about only because he is not a dad by law nor by biology.

He can haunt my house anytime.

  Lucifer in Rosemary’s Baby

As one of our brilliant Nightmare on Film Street hosts pointed out, I really can’t complete this list without including the biggest, baddest, and most physically hottest dad in all of horror and cinema, the devil himself (Thanks, Kim!).

He’s actually fiery and steamy, being the King of Hell and all, and is, biologically, father to the otherworldly offspring he’s forced upon poor Rosemary in Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby. He may not be a pleasant looker, unless your into horns, hoofs, and a tail, but I’m gonna label him the ‘wild card’ of this list because all groups need one. Looks are subjective, so the criteria for being a ‘hot dad’ of horror is not necessarily reliant on outer appearance alone.

Lucifer is the hottest, literally.

  There you have it, a sizzling handful of dreamy dads to make your Father’s Day either super uncomfortable or a lot more enjoyable. Horror is getting hotter and hotter every day and the cast lists for the roles of daddies, I mean, fathers is setting off smoke alarms in all directions. If we have to face flesh-eating zombies, tormenting demons, blood hungry murderers, invading creatures, and the inevitable end of the world why not sit back, embrace the modern times, and enjoy the view?

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there! You’re all automatic additions to this list for being horror fans to begin with.

  The post Dad-Bods and 6-Packs: The 14 Dreamiest Dads of Horror appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street - Horror Movie Podcast, News and Reviews.

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[joejstrickl]

Canada 150: Meet Tim Hortons’ Biggest Fan

Tim Hortons has officially expanded in the UK, just opening its first location in Glasgow, Scotland to crowds and accolades from locals who may have encountered the brand on trips to Canada.

My 1st trip to @timhortonsuk & won't be the last. Excellent service & lovely staff, the cappuccino was spot on!Delighted to get a mug too pic.twitter.com/fZ0x0waRhS

— Mandy M (@mandydoll1983) July 6, 2017

Ironically, it’s not the first Tim Hortons in the UK—or Scotland, for that matter. Pining for his favorite brand from home, a Canadian exchange student at Glasgow University opened an unofficial Tim’s outpost 15 years ago—much to the delight of the company, which donated supplies and featured the story in an ad campaign.

We spoke with that uber-Tims fan, David Mole (right), to get his reaction to the company finally catching up with his big idea some 15 years later—and how he sees Tim Hortons today in the pantheon of iconic Canadian brands.

David, how did you come to open an unofficial Tim Horton’s at Glasgow University 15 years ago?

As an international exchange student from Queen’s University, it became abundantly clear to me within the first few weeks “on Campus” in Glasgow (University of Glasgow) that the “Canadian” student delegation was far outnumbered by our American cousins to the south. Canadians have an uncanny way of finding other Canadians when traveling, so after about 10 days I had found representation from coast to coast to coast – our 30-odd Canucks to their 120-odd Yanks. Sitting at a pub one night with my housemate James Allen and a few loud-mouthed and patriotic Americans it became clear that our US friends simply saw Canada as the 51st state—which we desperately argued!

That night, a light went off in my head—a perfect plan to demonstrate just how awesome Canada is, unique in both identity and character. It really started as a joke, to open an “unofficial Canadian embassy” on campus—to not only be there for homesick Canadians, but to invite everyone over to showcase our ‘true patriot love‘ and shining light.

We decided to call it “Caribou House” as a bit of a play on Canada House in London. So we had an awesome plan to transform our dingy five-room flat into some great tribute to Canada, but… we needed help. So I pledged to my fellow Canadians to write at least one letter a night to high-ranking Canadians and Canadian companies back home, imploring support.

I sketched out a page full of iconic Canadian brands and set to it. Within two weeks of my first salvo of this epic letter campaign. I had received amazing responses from across the country, including but not limited to: the Prime Minister (Jean Chretien), Molson Canada, Bauer Hockey, Canadian Tire, West Beach, and of course, Tim Hortons.

Tim’s and Molsons truly went out of their way to show their support… both of whose leadership had direct ties to Scotland. I had directed my letter to Tim’s co-founder Ron Joyce, a renowned philanthropist and all-around Canadian titan. His personal response was outstanding, as was Tim’s contribution.

I’ll never forget the day boxes upon boxes of coffee, trinkets and a brand new Tim Hortons-branded coffee machine showed up. So, with a little help from my ‘Embassy’ cohorts we set to it. It was time to show everyone in Glasgow just how awesome Canada is!

We went all around the University telling the story of ‘Tim’s’ and inviting people back to Caribou House to have a cup of the world-famous coffee through a sequence of parties. With a little help from our Australian friends, the parties got quite lively thanks to the fine folks at Bailey’s and the local Scottish contribution of a few “nips of Scotch.”

We were even successful in getting most of the American troupe out to celebrate Canadian identity with some delicious coffee. The whole thing was a thrilling “experience-of-a-lifetime” thanks in large part to Tim’s, Molson’s and the PMO.

Founding “Caribou House” led to a late night radio show with a friend from Ecuador and shooting an international student exchange documentary with a friend from Australia. Could it get any more Canadian, eh?

What was the reaction to the brand on-campus? 

The reaction to Tim’s on campus was electric. It was an easy sell to locals for a number of reasons. As Tim Horton’s is sewn within the Canadian fabric, so too is IRN-BRU sewn within the Scottish fabric. I would often said, “This is our IRN-BRU,” this is who we are.

Also, many Scots have Canadian ties and anyone who’s been to Canada can’t deny the dominance of the Tim’s brand. The final way we won over the locals—other than having parties, supplying free coffee and just being Canadian—was to say, “You have your local pub, we have our local Tim’s. You have pints, we have the double-double.”

How did the 2003 TV commercial by Tim Hortons featuring Caribou House (featuring Charles Rennie Mackintosh‘s font, no less) come about?

Sadly saying bye to Glasgow in May of 2002, I returned home to Niagara-on-the-Lake. That fall I headed back to Kingston to complete my final year at Queen’s. One day, rather randomly, I received a letter from Enterprise Marketing in Toronto asking if I would be OK if our story could be used in an advertisement for Tim Horton’s. I said yes, and thought nothing of it.

A short while later I received another random phone call from an Enterprise executive asking me to be at the airport in a few days and that I was being taken back to Glasgow to film a “True Stories” commercial called “Missing Home.” The entire experience was amazing.

The commercial came out that winter and aired from coast to coast to coast in Canada for a few months. People would randomly come up to me on the street and say, “What a great story, I always miss Tim’s when I’m away from home. It’s the first stop I make when I get back.”

So what was your reaction when you heard that Tim’s was finally opening in Glasgow—and at Glasgow University—as their UK launch site last month?

The UK launch and, the fact that the first location was opening in Glasgow, was brought to my attention via social media by a dear old friend who I met on campus back in 2001/2002, Sarah McGee.

Sarah, and so many other amazing local Scottish friends who were part of the “Caribou House” pop-up, have been terribly excited about the news and that now, 15 years later, “Tim’s” has arrived. For me, as someone who follows Tim’s continual growth and success, I was really excited to hear of this latest and bold move into the UK market.

We’ve brought the spirit of Canada to Glasgow. We’ve brought some tasty treats with us too. pic.twitter.com/cly6TenqrB

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) June 21, 2017

Knowing the people both of Glasgow and the broader Scottish thumbprint, I really do believe they’re going to embrace the brand and high quality product. I vividly recall having conversations with top Tim’s executives while shooting the commercial about bringing Tim’s to the UK simply because there is a great cultural fit. Although Brits are known for a piping hot cup of tea, the model’s been there for centuries to sit down and enjoy each other’s company over a caffeinated beverage or two.

I was told then that the greater American market was first on the agenda. I do love traveling over to Buffalo or Niagara Falls, New York, and seeing Tim’s everywhere. I hope they keep on growing and building into many more American and global communities.

I honestly think it’s all of those great Canadian backpackers and exchange students, and those living in the UK, who really made this happen after decades of proudly extolling the Canadian virtues of hockey, Canadian beer, snowmobiling and the undeniable greatness of a Tim’s coffee.

Hands up, who's visiting our Glasgow store today? #CanadaDay #TimHortonsUK pic.twitter.com/2BZlrpj69j

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) July 1, 2017

What is it about the Tim Hortons brand that you love?

This is a great question. I was actually thinking about this the other day heading into work. It was early, 6:30 am-ish. I was in downtown Hamilton, on Barton Street. This particular Tim’s is smack dab between Hamilton General Hospital (one of Canada’s largest hospitals), Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre (again, a big prison) and a handful of emergency homeless shelters, food banks, and addiction/recovery facilities… not to mention a large urban community.

As someone who now works in the social work/health field, I stood there in line and thought to myself, “Only in Canada, and only at Tim’s” would this happen. The cross-section of society and the demographic of those waiting in line (which was out the door by the way) was simply amazing. You had doctors and nurses going into work, recently-released inmates, city workers, two pastors, construction guys, those who had just been kicked out of (homeless) shelters and a few (drug) users coming off their night highs.

Looking around the store, I saw a pocket of old Italian men sitting at one of the long tables, righting all of the wrongs of the world (no doubt their daily tradition), an older lady reading a book with a muffin and a coffee, and a young couple—headphones in, on their laptops.

That to me is what Tim’s is all about… accepting of all, a place to come that makes everything just a little bit better even if just for the moment… in every cup. Tim’s, for me, is Canada. It’s what makes us great—no matter your race, religion, creed or calling. Still to this day, when friends or family are visiting Canada for the first time, I either meet them at the airport with a Tim’s or it’s our first stop. This is what we’re all about, and that I love.

We're in London for one day only at Trafalgar Square's #Canada150 celebrations visit us for brewed coffee, Timbits & Iced Capps! pic.twitter.com/IXvjnJkvLV

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) July 1, 2017

As you think about iconic Canadian brands, is Tim’s still top of your list?

Absolutely, hands down, Tim’s, in my opinion, is still top five with the big boys of Canadian brands like Molson/Labatts, Loblaws, Maple Leaf Sports, Canadian Tire, Bombardier, Blue Jays, Air Canada/WestJet, Bauer etc.

I bet if you were to take a tour across Canada, gauging the “pulse” of Tim’s in vastly different communities—from the far north to the prairies, from east to west—I bet you would see a similar thing I saw in Hamilton that early morning. For instance, two months ago I was doing some work on Six Nations, Ohsweken (reserve) and forgot to bring my lunch. Popping into the local Tim’s was fascinating. Again, a wide cross section of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people were there, enjoying the coffee, food and atmosphere.

As someone who has lived and traveled overseas throughout your career, what do you feel makes an iconic Canadian brand in general — especially as we celebrate Canada 150 and reflect on what makes Canada great, at home and abroad?

Some of my favourite brands all share a few core elements in common. First and foremost, they’re built on an imagination-captivating story. Look at Land Rover Jaguar — started in 1947 when a “Rover” engineer decided to rip about an old WWII US Army jeep on a beach in Wales in order to “build a better, more British all-terrain vehicle, the ultimate-all-terrain- vehicle,” Now look at the powerhouse that Range Rover is today all over the globe. To this day, they still celebrate that origin story and the countless adventures it led to—they challenge their customers to adventure “above and beyond.”

To me, what makes a Canadian brand “iconic,” like Tim’s, is the fact that they hit the nail on the head when it comes to “identity marketing.” That’s another core value of successful brands to me—winning the confidence of customers by letting them know “you get it,” i.e. it sucks being up at 5am for work, but, hell here’s a great cup of coffee.

Just look at the Toronto Blue Jays, another one of my most cherished Canadian brands. Having one of, if not the largest, fan bases in the MLB, I believe, can be attributed to the fact that they tap into the core of our identity: a small fish in a big ocean — and an “American Ocean” — fighting forward every game and actually winning… sometimes!

Is Tim’s any less Canadian to you since it’s been owned by Burger King?

Not in the slightest. I think if there was a dramatic drop in quality then there would be reason for alarm. Maybe it’s because I grew up only about five kilometres from the US boarder in Niagara-on-the-Lake or going to Buffalo regularly, or the fact a lot of Canadian brands like Molsons/Labatts are owned by foreign operators. I think the purchase of Tim’s by a much larger company is both a compliment to Canadians for helping build such a successful economic titan and provides an opportunity for us to share the Canadian story around the world.

I honestly can envision Tim’s being in every airport globally in the future, not to mention Australia, Scandinavia and broader parts of eastern Europe and Russia. The brand potential is really there. Watch out, McDonald’s!

Get more branding insights in our Q&A series. Suggest a Q&A: editor@brandchannel.com.

The post Canada 150: Meet Tim Hortons’ Biggest Fan appeared first on brandchannel:.

[markjsousa]

Canada 150: Meet Tim Hortons’ Biggest Fan

Tim Hortons has officially expanded in the UK, just opening its first location in Glasgow, Scotland to crowds and accolades from locals who may have encountered the brand on trips to Canada.

My 1st trip to @timhortonsuk & won't be the last. Excellent service & lovely staff, the cappuccino was spot on!Delighted to get a mug too http://pic.twitter.com/fZ0x0waRhS

— Mandy M (@mandydoll1983) July 6, 2017

Ironically, it’s not the first Tim Hortons in the UK—or Scotland, for that matter. Pining for his favorite brand from home, a Canadian exchange student at Glasgow University opened an unofficial Tim’s outpost 15 years ago—much to the delight of the company, which donated supplies and featured the story in an ad campaign.

We spoke with that uber-Tims fan, David Mole (right), to get his reaction to the company finally catching up with his big idea some 15 years later—and how he sees Tim Hortons today in the pantheon of iconic Canadian brands.

David, how did you come to open an unofficial Tim Horton’s at Glasgow University 15 years ago?

As an international exchange student from Queen’s University, it became abundantly clear to me within the first few weeks “on Campus” in Glasgow (University of Glasgow) that the “Canadian” student delegation was far outnumbered by our American cousins to the south. Canadians have an uncanny way of finding other Canadians when traveling, so after about 10 days I had found representation from coast to coast to coast – our 30-odd Canucks to their 120-odd Yanks. Sitting at a pub one night with my housemate James Allen and a few loud-mouthed and patriotic Americans it became clear that our US friends simply saw Canada as the 51st state—which we desperately argued!

That night, a light went off in my head—a perfect plan to demonstrate just how awesome Canada is, unique in both identity and character. It really started as a joke, to open an “unofficial Canadian embassy” on campus—to not only be there for homesick Canadians, but to invite everyone over to showcase our ‘true patriot love‘ and shining light.

We decided to call it “Caribou House” as a bit of a play on Canada House in London. So we had an awesome plan to transform our dingy five-room flat into some great tribute to Canada, but… we needed help. So I pledged to my fellow Canadians to write at least one letter a night to high-ranking Canadians and Canadian companies back home, imploring support.

I sketched out a page full of iconic Canadian brands and set to it. Within two weeks of my first salvo of this epic letter campaign. I had received amazing responses from across the country, including but not limited to: the Prime Minister (Jean Chretien), Molson Canada, Bauer Hockey, Canadian Tire, West Beach, and of course, Tim Hortons.

Tim’s and Molsons truly went out of their way to show their support… both of whose leadership had direct ties to Scotland. I had directed my letter to Tim’s co-founder Ron Joyce, a renowned philanthropist and all-around Canadian titan. His personal response was outstanding, as was Tim’s contribution.

I’ll never forget the day boxes upon boxes of coffee, trinkets and a brand new Tim Hortons-branded coffee machine showed up. So, with a little help from my ‘Embassy’ cohorts we set to it. It was time to show everyone in Glasgow just how awesome Canada is!

We went all around the University telling the story of ‘Tim’s’ and inviting people back to Caribou House to have a cup of the world-famous coffee through a sequence of parties. With a little help from our Australian friends, the parties got quite lively thanks to the fine folks at Bailey’s and the local Scottish contribution of a few “nips of Scotch.”

We were even successful in getting most of the American troupe out to celebrate Canadian identity with some delicious coffee. The whole thing was a thrilling “experience-of-a-lifetime” thanks in large part to Tim’s, Molson’s and the PMO.

Founding “Caribou House” led to a late night radio show with a friend from Ecuador and shooting an international student exchange documentary with a friend from Australia. Could it get any more Canadian, eh?

What was the reaction to the brand on-campus? 

The reaction to Tim’s on campus was electric. It was an easy sell to locals for a number of reasons. As Tim Horton’s is sewn within the Canadian fabric, so too is IRN-BRU sewn within the Scottish fabric. I would often said, “This is our IRN-BRU,” this is who we are.

Also, many Scots have Canadian ties and anyone who’s been to Canada can’t deny the dominance of the Tim’s brand. The final way we won over the locals—other than having parties, supplying free coffee and just being Canadian—was to say, “You have your local pub, we have our local Tim’s. You have pints, we have the double-double.”

How did the 2003 TV commercial by Tim Hortons featuring Caribou House (featuring Charles Rennie Mackintosh‘s font, no less) come about?

Sadly saying bye to Glasgow in May of 2002, I returned home to Niagara-on-the-Lake. That fall I headed back to Kingston to complete my final year at Queen’s. One day, rather randomly, I received a letter from Enterprise Marketing in Toronto asking if I would be OK if our story could be used in an advertisement for Tim Horton’s. I said yes, and thought nothing of it.

A short while later I received another random phone call from an Enterprise executive asking me to be at the airport in a few days and that I was being taken back to Glasgow to film a “True Stories” commercial called “Missing Home.” The entire experience was amazing.

The commercial came out that winter and aired from coast to coast to coast in Canada for a few months. People would randomly come up to me on the street and say, “What a great story, I always miss Tim’s when I’m away from home. It’s the first stop I make when I get back.”

So what was your reaction when you heard that Tim’s was finally opening in Glasgow—and at Glasgow University—as their UK launch site last month?

The UK launch and, the fact that the first location was opening in Glasgow, was brought to my attention via social media by a dear old friend who I met on campus back in 2001/2002, Sarah McGee.

Sarah, and so many other amazing local Scottish friends who were part of the “Caribou House” pop-up, have been terribly excited about the news and that now, 15 years later, “Tim’s” has arrived. For me, as someone who follows Tim’s continual growth and success, I was really excited to hear of this latest and bold move into the UK market.

We’ve brought the spirit of Canada to Glasgow. We’ve brought some tasty treats with us too. http://pic.twitter.com/cly6TenqrB

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) June 21, 2017

Knowing the people both of Glasgow and the broader Scottish thumbprint, I really do believe they’re going to embrace the brand and high quality product. I vividly recall having conversations with top Tim’s executives while shooting the commercial about bringing Tim’s to the UK simply because there is a great cultural fit. Although Brits are known for a piping hot cup of tea, the model’s been there for centuries to sit down and enjoy each other’s company over a caffeinated beverage or two.

I was told then that the greater American market was first on the agenda. I do love traveling over to Buffalo or Niagara Falls, New York, and seeing Tim’s everywhere. I hope they keep on growing and building into many more American and global communities.

I honestly think it’s all of those great Canadian backpackers and exchange students, and those living in the UK, who really made this happen after decades of proudly extolling the Canadian virtues of hockey, Canadian beer, snowmobiling and the undeniable greatness of a Tim’s coffee.

Hands up, who's visiting our Glasgow store today? #CanadaDay #TimHortonsUK http://pic.twitter.com/2BZlrpj69j

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) July 1, 2017

What is it about the Tim Hortons brand that you love?

This is a great question. I was actually thinking about this the other day heading into work. It was early, 6:30 am-ish. I was in downtown Hamilton, on Barton Street. This particular Tim’s is smack dab between Hamilton General Hospital (one of Canada’s largest hospitals), Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre (again, a big prison) and a handful of emergency homeless shelters, food banks, and addiction/recovery facilities… not to mention a large urban community.

As someone who now works in the social work/health field, I stood there in line and thought to myself, “Only in Canada, and only at Tim’s” would this happen. The cross-section of society and the demographic of those waiting in line (which was out the door by the way) was simply amazing. You had doctors and nurses going into work, recently-released inmates, city workers, two pastors, construction guys, those who had just been kicked out of (homeless) shelters and a few (drug) users coming off their night highs.

Looking around the store, I saw a pocket of old Italian men sitting at one of the long tables, righting all of the wrongs of the world (no doubt their daily tradition), an older lady reading a book with a muffin and a coffee, and a young couple—headphones in, on their laptops.

That to me is what Tim’s is all about… accepting of all, a place to come that makes everything just a little bit better even if just for the moment… in every cup. Tim’s, for me, is Canada. It’s what makes us great—no matter your race, religion, creed or calling. Still to this day, when friends or family are visiting Canada for the first time, I either meet them at the airport with a Tim’s or it’s our first stop. This is what we’re all about, and that I love.

We're in London for one day only at Trafalgar Square's #Canada150 celebrations visit us for brewed coffee, Timbits & Iced Capps! http://pic.twitter.com/IXvjnJkvLV

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) July 1, 2017

As you think about iconic Canadian brands, is Tim’s still top of your list?

Absolutely, hands down, Tim’s, in my opinion, is still top five with the big boys of Canadian brands like Molson/Labatts, Loblaws, Maple Leaf Sports, Canadian Tire, Bombardier, Blue Jays, Air Canada/WestJet, Bauer etc.

I bet if you were to take a tour across Canada, gauging the “pulse” of Tim’s in vastly different communities—from the far north to the prairies, from east to west—I bet you would see a similar thing I saw in Hamilton that early morning. For instance, two months ago I was doing some work on Six Nations, Ohsweken (reserve) and forgot to bring my lunch. Popping into the local Tim’s was fascinating. Again, a wide cross section of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people were there, enjoying the coffee, food and atmosphere.

As someone who has lived and traveled overseas throughout your career, what do you feel makes an iconic Canadian brand in general — especially as we celebrate Canada 150 and reflect on what makes Canada great, at home and abroad?

Some of my favourite brands all share a few core elements in common. First and foremost, they’re built on an imagination-captivating story. Look at Land Rover Jaguar — started in 1947 when a “Rover” engineer decided to rip about an old WWII US Army jeep on a beach in Wales in order to “build a better, more British all-terrain vehicle, the ultimate-all-terrain- vehicle,” Now look at the powerhouse that Range Rover is today all over the globe. To this day, they still celebrate that origin story and the countless adventures it led to—they challenge their customers to adventure “above and beyond.”

To me, what makes a Canadian brand “iconic,” like Tim’s, is the fact that they hit the nail on the head when it comes to “identity marketing.” That’s another core value of successful brands to me—winning the confidence of customers by letting them know “you get it,” i.e. it sucks being up at 5am for work, but, hell here’s a great cup of coffee.

Just look at the Toronto Blue Jays, another one of my most cherished Canadian brands. Having one of, if not the largest, fan bases in the MLB, I believe, can be attributed to the fact that they tap into the core of our identity: a small fish in a big ocean — and an “American Ocean” — fighting forward every game and actually winning… sometimes!

Is Tim’s any less Canadian to you since it’s been owned by Burger King?

Not in the slightest. I think if there was a dramatic drop in quality then there would be reason for alarm. Maybe it’s because I grew up only about five kilometres from the US boarder in Niagara-on-the-Lake or going to Buffalo regularly, or the fact a lot of Canadian brands like Molsons/Labatts are owned by foreign operators. I think the purchase of Tim’s by a much larger company is both a compliment to Canadians for helping build such a successful economic titan and provides an opportunity for us to share the Canadian story around the world.

I honestly can envision Tim’s being in every airport globally in the future, not to mention Australia, Scandinavia and broader parts of eastern Europe and Russia. The brand potential is really there. Watch out, McDonald’s!

Get more branding insights in our Q&A series. Suggest a Q&A: editor@brandchannel.com.

The post Canada 150: Meet Tim Hortons’ Biggest Fan appeared first on brandchannel:.

[davisgordonc]

Canada 150: Meet Tim Hortons’ Biggest Fan

Tim Hortons has officially expanded in the UK, just opening its first location in Glasgow, Scotland to crowds and accolades from locals who may have encountered the brand on trips to Canada.

My 1st trip to @timhortonsuk & won't be the last. Excellent service & lovely staff, the cappuccino was spot on!Delighted to get a mug too http://pic.twitter.com/fZ0x0waRhS

— Mandy M (@mandydoll1983) July 6, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Ironically, it’s not the first Tim Hortons in the UK—or Scotland, for that matter. Pining for his favorite brand from home, a Canadian exchange student at Glasgow University opened an unofficial Tim’s outpost 15 years ago—much to the delight of the company, which donated supplies and featured the story in an ad campaign.

We spoke with that uber-Tims fan, David Mole (right), to get his reaction to the company finally catching up with his big idea some 15 years later—and how he sees Tim Hortons today in the pantheon of iconic Canadian brands.

David, how did you come to open an unofficial Tim Horton’s at Glasgow University 15 years ago?

As an international exchange student from Queen’s University, it became abundantly clear to me within the first few weeks “on Campus” in Glasgow (University of Glasgow) that the “Canadian” student delegation was far outnumbered by our American cousins to the south. Canadians have an uncanny way of finding other Canadians when traveling, so after about 10 days I had found representation from coast to coast to coast – our 30-odd Canucks to their 120-odd Yanks. Sitting at a pub one night with my housemate James Allen and a few loud-mouthed and patriotic Americans it became clear that our US friends simply saw Canada as the 51st state—which we desperately argued!

That night, a light went off in my head—a perfect plan to demonstrate just how awesome Canada is, unique in both identity and character. It really started as a joke, to open an “unofficial Canadian embassy” on campus—to not only be there for homesick Canadians, but to invite everyone over to showcase our ‘true patriot love‘ and shining light.

We decided to call it “Caribou House” as a bit of a play on Canada House in London. So we had an awesome plan to transform our dingy five-room flat into some great tribute to Canada, but… we needed help. So I pledged to my fellow Canadians to write at least one letter a night to high-ranking Canadians and Canadian companies back home, imploring support.

I sketched out a page full of iconic Canadian brands and set to it. Within two weeks of my first salvo of this epic letter campaign. I had received amazing responses from across the country, including but not limited to: the Prime Minister (Jean Chretien), Molson Canada, Bauer Hockey, Canadian Tire, West Beach, and of course, Tim Hortons.

Tim’s and Molsons truly went out of their way to show their support… both of whose leadership had direct ties to Scotland. I had directed my letter to Tim’s co-founder Ron Joyce, a renowned philanthropist and all-around Canadian titan. His personal response was outstanding, as was Tim’s contribution.

I’ll never forget the day boxes upon boxes of coffee, trinkets and a brand new Tim Hortons-branded coffee machine showed up. So, with a little help from my ‘Embassy’ cohorts we set to it. It was time to show everyone in Glasgow just how awesome Canada is!

We went all around the University telling the story of ‘Tim’s’ and inviting people back to Caribou House to have a cup of the world-famous coffee through a sequence of parties. With a little help from our Australian friends, the parties got quite lively thanks to the fine folks at Bailey’s and the local Scottish contribution of a few “nips of Scotch.”

We were even successful in getting most of the American troupe out to celebrate Canadian identity with some delicious coffee. The whole thing was a thrilling “experience-of-a-lifetime” thanks in large part to Tim’s, Molson’s and the PMO.

Founding “Caribou House” led to a late night radio show with a friend from Ecuador and shooting an international student exchange documentary with a friend from Australia. Could it get any more Canadian, eh?

What was the reaction to the brand on-campus? 

The reaction to Tim’s on campus was electric. It was an easy sell to locals for a number of reasons. As Tim Horton’s is sewn within the Canadian fabric, so too is IRN-BRU sewn within the Scottish fabric. I would often said, “This is our IRN-BRU,” this is who we are.

Also, many Scots have Canadian ties and anyone who’s been to Canada can’t deny the dominance of the Tim’s brand. The final way we won over the locals—other than having parties, supplying free coffee and just being Canadian—was to say, “You have your local pub, we have our local Tim’s. You have pints, we have the double-double.”

How did the 2003 TV commercial by Tim Hortons featuring Caribou House (featuring Charles Rennie Mackintosh‘s font, no less) come about?

Sadly saying bye to Glasgow in May of 2002, I returned home to Niagara-on-the-Lake. That fall I headed back to Kingston to complete my final year at Queen’s. One day, rather randomly, I received a letter from Enterprise Marketing in Toronto asking if I would be OK if our story could be used in an advertisement for Tim Horton’s. I said yes, and thought nothing of it.

A short while later I received another random phone call from an Enterprise executive asking me to be at the airport in a few days and that I was being taken back to Glasgow to film a “True Stories” commercial called “Missing Home.” The entire experience was amazing.

The commercial came out that winter and aired from coast to coast to coast in Canada for a few months. People would randomly come up to me on the street and say, “What a great story, I always miss Tim’s when I’m away from home. It’s the first stop I make when I get back.”

So what was your reaction when you heard that Tim’s was finally opening in Glasgow—and at Glasgow University—as their UK launch site last month?

The UK launch and, the fact that the first location was opening in Glasgow, was brought to my attention via social media by a dear old friend who I met on campus back in 2001/2002, Sarah McGee.

Sarah, and so many other amazing local Scottish friends who were part of the “Caribou House” pop-up, have been terribly excited about the news and that now, 15 years later, “Tim’s” has arrived. For me, as someone who follows Tim’s continual growth and success, I was really excited to hear of this latest and bold move into the UK market.

We’ve brought the spirit of Canada to Glasgow. We’ve brought some tasty treats with us too. http://pic.twitter.com/cly6TenqrB

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) June 21, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Knowing the people both of Glasgow and the broader Scottish thumbprint, I really do believe they’re going to embrace the brand and high quality product. I vividly recall having conversations with top Tim’s executives while shooting the commercial about bringing Tim’s to the UK simply because there is a great cultural fit. Although Brits are known for a piping hot cup of tea, the model’s been there for centuries to sit down and enjoy each other’s company over a caffeinated beverage or two.

I was told then that the greater American market was first on the agenda. I do love traveling over to Buffalo or Niagara Falls, New York, and seeing Tim’s everywhere. I hope they keep on growing and building into many more American and global communities.

I honestly think it’s all of those great Canadian backpackers and exchange students, and those living in the UK, who really made this happen after decades of proudly extolling the Canadian virtues of hockey, Canadian beer, snowmobiling and the undeniable greatness of a Tim’s coffee.

Hands up, who's visiting our Glasgow store today? #CanadaDay #TimHortonsUK http://pic.twitter.com/2BZlrpj69j

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) July 1, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

What is it about the Tim Hortons brand that you love?

This is a great question. I was actually thinking about this the other day heading into work. It was early, 6:30 am-ish. I was in downtown Hamilton, on Barton Street. This particular Tim’s is smack dab between Hamilton General Hospital (one of Canada’s largest hospitals), Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre (again, a big prison) and a handful of emergency homeless shelters, food banks, and addiction/recovery facilities… not to mention a large urban community.

As someone who now works in the social work/health field, I stood there in line and thought to myself, “Only in Canada, and only at Tim’s” would this happen. The cross-section of society and the demographic of those waiting in line (which was out the door by the way) was simply amazing. You had doctors and nurses going into work, recently-released inmates, city workers, two pastors, construction guys, those who had just been kicked out of (homeless) shelters and a few (drug) users coming off their night highs.

Looking around the store, I saw a pocket of old Italian men sitting at one of the long tables, righting all of the wrongs of the world (no doubt their daily tradition), an older lady reading a book with a muffin and a coffee, and a young couple—headphones in, on their laptops.

That to me is what Tim’s is all about… accepting of all, a place to come that makes everything just a little bit better even if just for the moment… in every cup. Tim’s, for me, is Canada. It’s what makes us great—no matter your race, religion, creed or calling. Still to this day, when friends or family are visiting Canada for the first time, I either meet them at the airport with a Tim’s or it’s our first stop. This is what we’re all about, and that I love.

We're in London for one day only at Trafalgar Square's #Canada150 celebrations visit us for brewed coffee, Timbits & Iced Capps! http://pic.twitter.com/IXvjnJkvLV

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) July 1, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

As you think about iconic Canadian brands, is Tim’s still top of your list?

Absolutely, hands down, Tim’s, in my opinion, is still top five with the big boys of Canadian brands like Molson/Labatts, Loblaws, Maple Leaf Sports, Canadian Tire, Bombardier, Blue Jays, Air Canada/WestJet, Bauer etc.

I bet if you were to take a tour across Canada, gauging the “pulse” of Tim’s in vastly different communities—from the far north to the prairies, from east to west—I bet you would see a similar thing I saw in Hamilton that early morning. For instance, two months ago I was doing some work on Six Nations, Ohsweken (reserve) and forgot to bring my lunch. Popping into the local Tim’s was fascinating. Again, a wide cross section of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people were there, enjoying the coffee, food and atmosphere.

As someone who has lived and traveled overseas throughout your career, what do you feel makes an iconic Canadian brand in general — especially as we celebrate Canada 150 and reflect on what makes Canada great, at home and abroad?

Some of my favourite brands all share a few core elements in common. First and foremost, they’re built on an imagination-captivating story. Look at Land Rover Jaguar — started in 1947 when a “Rover” engineer decided to rip about an old WWII US Army jeep on a beach in Wales in order to “build a better, more British all-terrain vehicle, the ultimate-all-terrain- vehicle,” Now look at the powerhouse that Range Rover is today all over the globe. To this day, they still celebrate that origin story and the countless adventures it led to—they challenge their customers to adventure “above and beyond.”

To me, what makes a Canadian brand “iconic,” like Tim’s, is the fact that they hit the nail on the head when it comes to “identity marketing.” That’s another core value of successful brands to me—winning the confidence of customers by letting them know “you get it,” i.e. it sucks being up at 5am for work, but, hell here’s a great cup of coffee.

Just look at the Toronto Blue Jays, another one of my most cherished Canadian brands. Having one of, if not the largest, fan bases in the MLB, I believe, can be attributed to the fact that they tap into the core of our identity: a small fish in a big ocean — and an “American Ocean” — fighting forward every game and actually winning… sometimes!

Is Tim’s any less Canadian to you since it’s been owned by Burger King?

Not in the slightest. I think if there was a dramatic drop in quality then there would be reason for alarm. Maybe it’s because I grew up only about five kilometres from the US boarder in Niagara-on-the-Lake or going to Buffalo regularly, or the fact a lot of Canadian brands like Molsons/Labatts are owned by foreign operators. I think the purchase of Tim’s by a much larger company is both a compliment to Canadians for helping build such a successful economic titan and provides an opportunity for us to share the Canadian story around the world.

I honestly can envision Tim’s being in every airport globally in the future, not to mention Australia, Scandinavia and broader parts of eastern Europe and Russia. The brand potential is really there. Watch out, McDonald’s!

Get more branding insights in our Q&A series. Suggest a Q&A: editor@brandchannel.com.

The post Canada 150: Meet Tim Hortons’ Biggest Fan appeared first on brandchannel:.

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[glenmenlow]

Canada 150: Meet Tim Hortons’ Biggest Fan

Tim Hortons has officially expanded in the UK, just opening its first location in Glasgow, Scotland to crowds and accolades from locals who may have encountered the brand on trips to Canada.

My 1st trip to @timhortonsuk & won't be the last. Excellent service & lovely staff, the cappuccino was spot on!Delighted to get a mug too pic.twitter.com/fZ0x0waRhS

— Mandy M (@mandydoll1983) July 6, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Ironically, it’s not the first Tim Hortons in the UK—or Scotland, for that matter. Pining for his favorite brand from home, a Canadian exchange student at Glasgow University opened an unofficial Tim’s outpost 15 years ago—much to the delight of the company, which donated supplies and featured the story in an ad campaign.

We spoke with that uber-Tims fan, David Mole (right), to get his reaction to the company finally catching up with his big idea some 15 years later—and how he sees Tim Hortons today in the pantheon of iconic Canadian brands.

David, how did you come to open an unofficial Tim Horton’s at Glasgow University 15 years ago?

As an international exchange student from Queen’s University, it became abundantly clear to me within the first few weeks “on Campus” in Glasgow (University of Glasgow) that the “Canadian” student delegation was far outnumbered by our American cousins to the south. Canadians have an uncanny way of finding other Canadians when traveling, so after about 10 days I had found representation from coast to coast to coast – our 30-odd Canucks to their 120-odd Yanks. Sitting at a pub one night with my housemate James Allen and a few loud-mouthed and patriotic Americans it became clear that our US friends simply saw Canada as the 51st state—which we desperately argued!

That night, a light went off in my head—a perfect plan to demonstrate just how awesome Canada is, unique in both identity and character. It really started as a joke, to open an “unofficial Canadian embassy” on campus—to not only be there for homesick Canadians, but to invite everyone over to showcase our ‘true patriot love‘ and shining light.

We decided to call it “Caribou House” as a bit of a play on Canada House in London. So we had an awesome plan to transform our dingy five-room flat into some great tribute to Canada, but… we needed help. So I pledged to my fellow Canadians to write at least one letter a night to high-ranking Canadians and Canadian companies back home, imploring support.

I sketched out a page full of iconic Canadian brands and set to it. Within two weeks of my first salvo of this epic letter campaign. I had received amazing responses from across the country, including but not limited to: the Prime Minister (Jean Chretien), Molson Canada, Bauer Hockey, Canadian Tire, West Beach, and of course, Tim Hortons.

Tim’s and Molsons truly went out of their way to show their support… both of whose leadership had direct ties to Scotland. I had directed my letter to Tim’s co-founder Ron Joyce, a renowned philanthropist and all-around Canadian titan. His personal response was outstanding, as was Tim’s contribution.

I’ll never forget the day boxes upon boxes of coffee, trinkets and a brand new Tim Hortons-branded coffee machine showed up. So, with a little help from my ‘Embassy’ cohorts we set to it. It was time to show everyone in Glasgow just how awesome Canada is!

We went all around the University telling the story of ‘Tim’s’ and inviting people back to Caribou House to have a cup of the world-famous coffee through a sequence of parties. With a little help from our Australian friends, the parties got quite lively thanks to the fine folks at Bailey’s and the local Scottish contribution of a few “nips of Scotch.”

We were even successful in getting most of the American troupe out to celebrate Canadian identity with some delicious coffee. The whole thing was a thrilling “experience-of-a-lifetime” thanks in large part to Tim’s, Molson’s and the PMO.

Founding “Caribou House” led to a late night radio show with a friend from Ecuador and shooting an international student exchange documentary with a friend from Australia. Could it get any more Canadian, eh?

What was the reaction to the brand on-campus? 

The reaction to Tim’s on campus was electric. It was an easy sell to locals for a number of reasons. As Tim Horton’s is sewn within the Canadian fabric, so too is IRN-BRU sewn within the Scottish fabric. I would often said, “This is our IRN-BRU,” this is who we are.

Also, many Scots have Canadian ties and anyone who’s been to Canada can’t deny the dominance of the Tim’s brand. The final way we won over the locals—other than having parties, supplying free coffee and just being Canadian—was to say, “You have your local pub, we have our local Tim’s. You have pints, we have the double-double.”

How did the 2003 TV commercial by Tim Hortons featuring Caribou House (featuring Charles Rennie Mackintosh‘s font, no less) come about?

Sadly saying bye to Glasgow in May of 2002, I returned home to Niagara-on-the-Lake. That fall I headed back to Kingston to complete my final year at Queen’s. One day, rather randomly, I received a letter from Enterprise Marketing in Toronto asking if I would be OK if our story could be used in an advertisement for Tim Horton’s. I said yes, and thought nothing of it.

A short while later I received another random phone call from an Enterprise executive asking me to be at the airport in a few days and that I was being taken back to Glasgow to film a “True Stories” commercial called “Missing Home.” The entire experience was amazing.

The commercial came out that winter and aired from coast to coast to coast in Canada for a few months. People would randomly come up to me on the street and say, “What a great story, I always miss Tim’s when I’m away from home. It’s the first stop I make when I get back.”

So what was your reaction when you heard that Tim’s was finally opening in Glasgow—and at Glasgow University—as their UK launch site last month?

The UK launch and, the fact that the first location was opening in Glasgow, was brought to my attention via social media by a dear old friend who I met on campus back in 2001/2002, Sarah McGee.

Sarah, and so many other amazing local Scottish friends who were part of the “Caribou House” pop-up, have been terribly excited about the news and that now, 15 years later, “Tim’s” has arrived. For me, as someone who follows Tim’s continual growth and success, I was really excited to hear of this latest and bold move into the UK market.

We’ve brought the spirit of Canada to Glasgow. We’ve brought some tasty treats with us too. pic.twitter.com/cly6TenqrB

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) June 21, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Knowing the people both of Glasgow and the broader Scottish thumbprint, I really do believe they’re going to embrace the brand and high quality product. I vividly recall having conversations with top Tim’s executives while shooting the commercial about bringing Tim’s to the UK simply because there is a great cultural fit. Although Brits are known for a piping hot cup of tea, the model’s been there for centuries to sit down and enjoy each other’s company over a caffeinated beverage or two.

I was told then that the greater American market was first on the agenda. I do love traveling over to Buffalo or Niagara Falls, New York, and seeing Tim’s everywhere. I hope they keep on growing and building into many more American and global communities.

I honestly think it’s all of those great Canadian backpackers and exchange students, and those living in the UK, who really made this happen after decades of proudly extolling the Canadian virtues of hockey, Canadian beer, snowmobiling and the undeniable greatness of a Tim’s coffee.

Hands up, who's visiting our Glasgow store today? #CanadaDay #TimHortonsUK pic.twitter.com/2BZlrpj69j

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) July 1, 2017

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What is it about the Tim Hortons brand that you love?

This is a great question. I was actually thinking about this the other day heading into work. It was early, 6:30 am-ish. I was in downtown Hamilton, on Barton Street. This particular Tim’s is smack dab between Hamilton General Hospital (one of Canada’s largest hospitals), Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre (again, a big prison) and a handful of emergency homeless shelters, food banks, and addiction/recovery facilities… not to mention a large urban community.

As someone who now works in the social work/health field, I stood there in line and thought to myself, “Only in Canada, and only at Tim’s” would this happen. The cross-section of society and the demographic of those waiting in line (which was out the door by the way) was simply amazing. You had doctors and nurses going into work, recently-released inmates, city workers, two pastors, construction guys, those who had just been kicked out of (homeless) shelters and a few (drug) users coming off their night highs.

Looking around the store, I saw a pocket of old Italian men sitting at one of the long tables, righting all of the wrongs of the world (no doubt their daily tradition), an older lady reading a book with a muffin and a coffee, and a young couple—headphones in, on their laptops.

That to me is what Tim’s is all about… accepting of all, a place to come that makes everything just a little bit better even if just for the moment… in every cup. Tim’s, for me, is Canada. It’s what makes us great—no matter your race, religion, creed or calling. Still to this day, when friends or family are visiting Canada for the first time, I either meet them at the airport with a Tim’s or it’s our first stop. This is what we’re all about, and that I love.

We're in London for one day only at Trafalgar Square's #Canada150 celebrations visit us for brewed coffee, Timbits & Iced Capps! pic.twitter.com/IXvjnJkvLV

— Tim Hortons UK (@timhortonsuk) July 1, 2017

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As you think about iconic Canadian brands, is Tim’s still top of your list?

Absolutely, hands down, Tim’s, in my opinion, is still top five with the big boys of Canadian brands like Molson/Labatts, Loblaws, Maple Leaf Sports, Canadian Tire, Bombardier, Blue Jays, Air Canada/WestJet, Bauer etc.

I bet if you were to take a tour across Canada, gauging the “pulse” of Tim’s in vastly different communities—from the far north to the prairies, from east to west—I bet you would see a similar thing I saw in Hamilton that early morning. For instance, two months ago I was doing some work on Six Nations, Ohsweken (reserve) and forgot to bring my lunch. Popping into the local Tim’s was fascinating. Again, a wide cross section of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people were there, enjoying the coffee, food and atmosphere.

As someone who has lived and traveled overseas throughout your career, what do you feel makes an iconic Canadian brand in general — especially as we celebrate Canada 150 and reflect on what makes Canada great, at home and abroad?

Some of my favourite brands all share a few core elements in common. First and foremost, they’re built on an imagination-captivating story. Look at Land Rover Jaguar — started in 1947 when a “Rover” engineer decided to rip about an old WWII US Army jeep on a beach in Wales in order to “build a better, more British all-terrain vehicle, the ultimate-all-terrain- vehicle,” Now look at the powerhouse that Range Rover is today all over the globe. To this day, they still celebrate that origin story and the countless adventures it led to—they challenge their customers to adventure “above and beyond.”

To me, what makes a Canadian brand “iconic,” like Tim’s, is the fact that they hit the nail on the head when it comes to “identity marketing.” That’s another core value of successful brands to me—winning the confidence of customers by letting them know “you get it,” i.e. it sucks being up at 5am for work, but, hell here’s a great cup of coffee.

Just look at the Toronto Blue Jays, another one of my most cherished Canadian brands. Having one of, if not the largest, fan bases in the MLB, I believe, can be attributed to the fact that they tap into the core of our identity: a small fish in a big ocean — and an “American Ocean” — fighting forward every game and actually winning… sometimes!

Is Tim’s any less Canadian to you since it’s been owned by Burger King?

Not in the slightest. I think if there was a dramatic drop in quality then there would be reason for alarm. Maybe it’s because I grew up only about five kilometres from the US boarder in Niagara-on-the-Lake or going to Buffalo regularly, or the fact a lot of Canadian brands like Molsons/Labatts are owned by foreign operators. I think the purchase of Tim’s by a much larger company is both a compliment to Canadians for helping build such a successful economic titan and provides an opportunity for us to share the Canadian story around the world.

I honestly can envision Tim’s being in every airport globally in the future, not to mention Australia, Scandinavia and broader parts of eastern Europe and Russia. The brand potential is really there. Watch out, McDonald’s!

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