Roll up the Rim…. to get ripped !

Rolling up the rim has been a nation wide experience for as long as I can remember. Every year, Tim Horton’s puts on the promotional event, they flaunt fancy cars, plasma TV’s, cash, and free doughnuts. All you have to do is buy their coffee, and when you’re done roll the rim to reveal the amazing prize you have won. I remember driving in my dads car, and amongst the receipts, and candy bar wrappers stuffed in the ash tray there would be stacks of torn paper cup rims, all boasting free coffee, doughnuts, and muffins.

Now I sit behind the wheel and peer into the ash tray, only to see more receipts and more candy bar wrappers, the days of winning on every other cup have long since passed. I am an avid coffee drinker; on an average day I will put back 3 steaming extra large coffees laden with creamy cream, and sweet sugar. So if I am drinking 3 cups a day, 5 days a week, and this promotion has been on for 4 weeks ( 3 x 5 x 4 = 60 ) I have drunk 60 cups of creamy sweet coffee, and I have won nothing, not even a free doughnut. I am not alone, friends, classmates, and passers by all comment “please play again”, the only thing these people are winning is another chance to play.

Tim Horton’s clever marketing scheme has worked. Those who favor, Starbucks, and Seattle coffee have joined in the ranks of millions of Canadian who are “cup crazy” as the corporation puts it. For what, why have we done this? The coffee is no better; the atmosphere is far more blue collar, and we are not even winning anything. But why, we won so much and so often only a few years ago.

As you could imagine, I did some digging and it didn’t take me long to formulate a hypothesis worthy of any grade 10 class room. For the past 5 years (perhaps more) Tim Horton’s has given away the same number of prizes each year. Each year new Tim’s pop up allover the country, and their sales are increasing at a rapid and steady rate. So quite simply there is less of the pie to go around.

Is ingenious and diabolical, the company recycles the same marketing campaign, the same commercials every year, their sales grow rapidly, and they sell more coffee. So ultimately the cost of the marketing campaign, becomes relatively less, yet generates relatively more profits. I mean that’s how business works, but give me a break this is Canada. All I want is a cup of coffee and a free doughnut; after all I have the munchies.

Comments

[chris]

can you tell I am getting ready to write my exams? I am blogging about coffee !!! I love being the first to comment on my own work.

[Jonathan]

I have to play the Devil's Advocate here for a bit. Although I have not been an avid coffee drinker for a very long time, I have been purchasing hot chocolate from Tim's for a very long while, but still not enough to notice any sort of change. I am sure that what you say is happening is quite true. I see it as we speak, or rather, as I write. However, I have to say that perhaps you, no, most definitely, you are unlucky. Sixty cups o'coffee and not a single free donut to show for it. I, on the other hand, have won three times out of an approximate twelve to fifteen chances. Not to mention the several that I accidently through into the garbage before "R-R-R-Rolling up the R-R-R-Rim." Perhaps I had the winning cup with the truck tucked away, hidden forever under that unrolled rim. I am just going to assume that I didn't, but I will never know. Stats are now in your favour. The more you play and don't win, the better your chances of becoming a big donut winner are. Keep playing, keep buying. It is not like you or I buy more Tim's just because of the promotion. I certainly don't. The only thing the promotion has me doing that is out of the ordinary is struggling with teeth, nails, and keys to get that little bugger of a Rim to unfold...I hate when it says "Please Play Again!"

[Matt]

I think you are right. I have bought around 30 roll up the rim cups in 2004 and I have only won 2 donuts,1 cookie,1 muffin and 1 coffee. allthat for around i dont know, 36 dollars! They should have more winners, and less losers. This contest is a rip-off!

[andre]

Did you guys know that you can only claim those
'winners' during the promotion period? I am left with 3 useless 'winners' What a rip-off.

[Tracy Moore]

I'm a reporter with Toronto1 and I'm working on a story today (Mar 3/05) about Tim Horton's Roll up the Rim contest. I want to look into what people's real chances are of winning any prize. I noticed a few of you have had little luck with winning any prizes with this contest, and I would love to interview someone about this. The interview can take place anywhere in the GTA area at any point between 11am and 3pm.
Please call me at: (416) 936-0147 or email me back.
Thanks!
Tracy Moore