Building community through AR innovation

Over the past few years, Tim Hortons has embarked on a digital transformation, says the QSR’s head of media and digital marketing Raven Opatovsky. “To do so, it was looking for new partners to help it better engage with young adults.” Snapchat seemed like a perfect fit. The visual messaging app, which largely connects friends and family, has over 800 million monthly users globally and more than 11 million monthly active users within Canada, reaching more than 90% of 13 to 24 year olds in over 20 countries including Canada, says Calvin Wilkinson, QSR and automotive lead at Snapchat who works very closely with Tims. It was that reach and demo that drew Tim Hortons’ interest in partnering with Snapchat for its annual “Roll up the Rim to Win” promotion in 2020. The long-running campaign previously required customers to roll up the rim of their cups to reveal a prize. In transitioning the promotion to digital, the QSR sought a campaign directly tied to the newly launched Tim Hortons Reward app – the future home of the entire promotion. “That was our challenge: how can we ensure that there’s clear connectivity between external platforms and our own interface,” Opatovsky says. “We wanted to give users the experience of actually rolling up in the new Tim’s app.” Customers were invited to virtually roll up their cups in Snapchat with an AR filter, mimicking the experience of the Tim’s app by showcasing how easy the digital experience could be before being directed to the branded portal. “We also found by using AR, we were turning Canadians into influencers,” she adds. “They were playing with the lenses and filters at the time and showcasing their own love for our new ‘Roll up to Win’ platform and advocating for us.” The AR function and tight-knit communities on Snapchat have continued to appeal to Tim Hortons as the partnership expands. “On Snap, you have an average of 30 friends,” Opatovsky says. “That private environment for communication is truly unique for us and Tims is very much grounded in Canadian, community-based values.” Augmented reality, initially an innovation testing ground for Tims, has become a key component of the brand’s digital strategy. “The immersion of allowing somebody to actually interact directly with your brand – literally put it on their face, share it with friends – is not the same as just consuming brand content. Our audience is part of the experience,” she adds. “It really has an outsize impact on our overall performance.” Opatovsky points to another example, a 2021 partnership to promote a limited run of branded Tims apparel. Alongside traditional media and retail activations, Tims and Snap unveiled a filter that allowed users to virtually try on a branded tracksuits inspired by the famous “double double”. “Tims was the global first advertiser to leverage advanced 3D body-tracking AR, which put a Snapchatter in an AR tracksuit that they could then swipe up to purchase,” Wilkinson says. “It was a really interesting way of showcasing that merchandise.” The campaign also meant that people who weren’t able to purchase the apparel (which sold out within hours of launch) could still enjoy “trying it on” and sharing with friends and family, amplifying it’s otherwise limited reach. For Tims’ campaigns specifically, Snap’s research (across brand lift studies over a four year period) found that campaigns using AR Lenses were twice as likely to be viewed favourably compared to those that didn’t have a custom created Lens. Using a Lens also saw a 100% ad awareness rate compared to 71% for campaigns run without one. Snap and Tims’ partnership is one of close collaboration and has now evolved into an “always on” model, thanks in part to the platform’s high-touch approach to clients, says Opatovsky. Snap’s support team consists of more than 100 people in the Canadian office working across numerous verticals, including retail, banking, CPG and others. They work closely with clients and partner agencies to seamlessly integrate brand extensions into broader marketing plans. “The Snapchat team is hyper invested in us,” says Opatovsky. “It feels very much like a mutual partnership, where they are acting as stewards of Tim Hortons on Snapchat. We have a very high-touch relationship that we’ve fostered over the years that we’re quite proud of. It’s one of the reasons that they continue to be a top partner for us.” CONTACT: Calvin Wilkinson QSR and Automotive Lead [email protected] The 2024 New Collaborators: SaltXC: The power of connected creativity M&H: Creating velocity through collaboration