CBC. The Canadian Press · Posted: Nov 10, 2021.
Pop superstar Justin Bieber holds a pack of Tim Hortons' new Timbit flavours, called Timbiebs. The coffee and doughnut chain has teamed up with Bieber to launch three new Timbit flavours, along with co-branded merchandise.(Tim Hortons/The Canadian Press).
Tim Hortons has teamed up with pop superstar Justin Bieber to launch three new Timbit flavours — called Timbiebs — along with co-branded merchandise.
The celebrity endorsement deal marks a departure from the coffee and doughnut chain's usual lineup of professional hockey players, a marketing strategy that could help attract a different demographic.
The partnership aligns with the Canadian singer's frequent social media posts about the restaurant, which have ranged from snapshots of a holiday-themed Tims cup to complaints about a new lid.
"Doing a Tim Hortons collab has always been a dream of mine," Bieber said in a statement. "I grew up on Tim Hortons and it's always been something close to my heart."
Tim Hortons will roll out the limited-edition Timbiebs Timbits in chocolate white fudge, sour cream chocolate chip, and birthday cake waffle, on Nov. 29, exclusively in Canada and the United States.(Tim Hortons / The Canadian Press).
Hope Bagozzi, chief marketing officer for Tim Hortons, said Bieber's genuine lifelong love of the brand made the collaboration authentic. Indeed, the Stratford, Ont.-raised performer has shared posts as far back as a decade ago about missing Tim Hortons while travelling outside Canada.
"Justin is so fervent in how much he loves Tims," Bagozzi said in an interview. "That is the perfect recipe for a collaboration. It's not forced."
While hockey will "always be part of our DNA," she said the celebrity partnership with Bieber will help reach new customers.
"It opens us up to a different audience and a different conversation beyond just hockey," Bagozzi said. "Justin has wide appeal, but definitely does appeal to younger guests."
"That was the start of a conversation," Bagozzi said. "He was quite keen to do something with us, so it's been almost two years in the making."
Given Timbits are one of his favorite menu items, the idea of coming up with new flavours was a natural fit, she said.
"He was super excited because that's his go-to item," Bagozzi said. That led chef Tallis Voakes, director of culinary innovation for Tim Hortons, to experiment with different flavor combinations that were shared with Bieber.
The Timbiebs launch is being accompanied by two television commercials, in English and French, that feature the pop star brainstorming new Timbit flavors in an office boardroom. At one point he can be seen showing off his juggling skills using Timbits.
The 2021 Juno Awards included a performance by Justin Bieber, who was nominated in five categories this year, and won the award for pop album of the year for 2020's Changes.
A big win for Tim Hortons
Nabbing Bieber — one of the best-selling music artists of all time — represents a major coup for the chain.
The genesis of the collaboration can be traced back to 2019 when the superstar waded into a heated debate over Tim Hortons' lid redesign by launching a poll on his Instagram account.
WATCH | Justin Bieber and Tim Horton's announce Timbiebs collaboration:
"We probably started with about 100 possibilities," Bagozzi said. "We would send him samples to try and he was very specific on what he liked and didn't like. It was months in the making to land on these three flavours."
Tim Hortons will roll out the limited-edition Timbiebs Timbits in chocolate white fudge, sour cream chocolate chip, and birthday cake waffle on Nov. 29, exclusively in Canada and the United States.
The restaurant will also have three merchandise items for sale, with more details expected in the coming weeks.
Grammy Awards: Wins: 2 · Nominations: 9
Billboard Music Awards: Wins: 14 · Nominations: 5
MTV Movie & TV Awards: Wins: 1
Justin and Hailey Bieber attended the 2021 Met Gala in matching black outfits. During a scene in the documentary, Bieber says that he hopes to have a child with wife by the end of this year.(Mike Coppola/Getty Images)/
Longtime member of Bieber's team says he is 'extremely loyal'
In his new Amazon Prime documentary Justin Bieber: Our World, the Canadian pop star chronicles a 30-day countdown to his 2020 New Year's Eve Show at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.
The feature-length documentary comes on the heels of Bieber's other forays into the genre, the most recent of which was his 2020 YouTube docuseries Justin Bieber: Seasons. In that series, he opens up about his struggles with a Lyme disease diagnosis and a drug addiction.
While Justin Bieber: Our World is not quite as personal, it gives fans a behind-the-scenes glance at the story behind Bieber's comeback concert. The Stratford, Ont.-born singer even helped film parts of the documentary — vlog-style.
Justin Bieber: Our World takes viewers backstage, onstage and into the private world of the global superstar as he prepares for a record-breaking New Year’s Eve 2020 concert. After a three-year hiatus from a full concert, Bieber delivers an electrifying performance on the rooftop of the Beverly Hilton Hotel for 240 invited guests —and millions of fans across the globe watching via livestream. Produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Michael D. Ratner, the94minute documentary follows Bieber and his team for the month leading up to the show as they rehearse and construct a monumental stage set. The film also captures personal self-shot moments between Bieber and his wife Hailey through the artist’s own lens.
Some of Bieber's crew have been touring with the singer since he was just a kid with a big voice. In fact, the documentary is a bit of a love-fest between Bieber and his long-standing team members. Key players like the singer's security manager, lead choreographer and band members have all been working with him for more than a decade.
Lead choreographer DeMoura has been with the singer for 11 years, having started as an alternate dancer during the singer's My World tour.
"When you've toured with someone for 10 years, you've pretty much lived with them," DeMoura says in the film. "You become brothers automatically."
Other veterans from Bieber's pack include DJ Tay James and musical director and bass player Bernard (Harv) Harvey. Lauren Walters, Bieber's director of operations and security, also reflects on working with the singer for 11 years in the film.
"He is extremely loyal to his team, his friends," Walters said. "For us — his team members who have been here over the years — we love him, we care about him tremendously."
By Jenna Benchetrit, CBC.
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Courtesy of CBC
