The agency behind a new coffee ad hopes to surprise viewers with a bit of a reveal. A stop-motion video illustrated with coffee grounds follows the path of creating a gourmet cup of coffee, from the growing fields to the roasting to brewing processes. But at the end, that the cup is actually a regular Tim Hortons coffee.
The spot was created by ad agency JWT Canada and produced with Common Good, a Toronto-based directing collective. It was made with Tim Hortons’ grounds and took 17 days to make as artists moved the coffee around by hand and with feathers, keeping in mind the goal of keeping post-production changes to a minimum.
“We know customers enjoy the taste of Tim Hortons… but they don’t necessarily know the full story of the care and craftsmanship that goes in creating the same, special taste of Tim Hortons with every cup served,” said Doug Poad, vice-president and director of strategic planning at JWT.
“The story takes us on a journey. Viewers are meant to believe we’re talking about some fancy, amazing new coffee, only to realize at the end that all of this care and effort goes into the coffee they already know,” Poad said. “Over a 60 second ad, it makes the surprise that much more powerful.”
The spot will run on TV in French and English. Mindshare oversaw media for the work.
The spot is complemented with a behind-the-scenes video and Facebook tool – a “coffee filter” that changes people’s profile pictures to look as if they’re made out of coffee beans.
The messages of quality comes as the coffee market in Canada heats up. Starbucks and Second Cup increasing the desire for fancy coffee drinks – which Tim Hortons has also introduced – and McDonalds pushing its premium brew with campaigns across the country.
