Tim Hortons’ most popular contest is returning to our coffee orders on March 11, which should be exciting news to Canadians’ ears. That is, until the company’s newly published rules were released to the public.
In 2019, Roll Up The Rim® lasted for a total of 10 weeks (Feb. 6 to April 17), giving patrons plenty of opportunity to win one of many prizes. This year, the contest will run for four weeks, only going until April 7. But, that’s not the only big change from last year.
This year’s contest will eliminate the losing rim or “Please Play Again.” Customers who don’t win a prize from their digital roll will be entered into one of four $100,000 draws, which sounds like an improvement until you hear about the other prizes.
The odds of winning any of the big prizes are going to be much worse this year. Instead of 40 vehicle prizes, there will only be 10. That is a one in 16,373,904 chance of winning, as opposed to last year’s one in 6,630,705. There’s even been a drop in the chances to win baked goods.
The odds of winning a free coffee or treat are one in nine instead of one in six. However, Tim Hortons says these odds will increase from their newly implanted digital “roll-ups,” if there is enough participation.
In order to push their phone app and rewards program, physical roll-up cups are going to be made available only for the first two weeks; after that, the contest can only be played on the app or online. Registered Tims Rewards members customers who buy a hot beverage and scan their card or app will receive a digital roll in the Tim Hortons app or online.
“After 35 years of Rolling Up the Rim, Tim Hortons has modernized its iconic contest to allow for a combination of paper, digital and sustainable play,” Tim Hortons said in a news release earlier this month outlining the rules and regulations.
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For the first two weeks of Roll Up The Rim, guests will get two rolls when ordering a hot beverage when they scan their Tim Rewards card, one on the cup and one on the app. Customers who purchase a hot beverage in a reusable cup or mug will receive three digital rolls for all four weeks of the contest.
Starting on March 10, the company will be giving out 1.8 million reusable cups for free as the beginning of a 10-year push to reduce waste produced during the contest. This change was also a decision made to revamp Roll Up The Rim promotion, which was met with criticism last year.
During 2019’s duration of the contest, environmental groups criticized Tim Hortons for their overuse of disposable cups and promoting single-use packaging. Due to fast-food chains distributing cups lined with plastics, most municipalities don’t process them for recycling. After all the backlash, the company is hoping that this change will bring some good PR to the contest’s brand.
“We listened to the feedback from our guests, who wanted us to modernize the program… The contest will allow for a combination of paper, digital and sustainable play – and of course still fun with millions of exciting prizes available to be won, said Tim Hortons chief marketing officer Hope Bagozzi in the news release. “We will reward guests who make the sustainable choice by using a reusable cup and scanning their Tims Rewards card with three digital rolls.”
Unfortunately, these changes are not bringing the shouts of praise that the company hoped for. The changes are receiving wave after wave of backlash on social media.
https://twitter.com/AngryCanadian89/status/1230152552097951744
The full list of prizes available during the contest are: over 17 million coffee and food prizes, including the new Dream Donuts, 45,000 $25 TimCards, 200 Samsung 55″ NU6900 Smart 4K UHD TVs, 150 $1,000 CIBC Prepaid Cards, 100 40,000 AIR MILES® Reward Miles – enough for a trip for two, 10 2020 Hyundai IONIQ Electric or Hybrid Vehicles and four draws of $100,000.
By Kory Glover
