Tim Hortons goes dark

Tim Hortons recognized that Canadians' coffee tastes were changing. The average Canadian was not just asking for the '"Double Double" anymore and had become accustomed to drinking more than one blend.

Even with 78% share of Canada's QSR brewed coffee market, the evolving landscape had seen Tim Hortons' market share erode.

In order to strengthen market leadership, Tim Hortons launched its first new blend in 50 years, Dark Roast.

JWT went back to school for its insight, playing off the scientific fact that when you remove one of your five senses, you heighten your other ones. So for the Tim Hortons Dark Roast launch, it took away people's sense of sight to enhance the core "coffee senses" of taste and smell.

JWT partnered with one of the chain's owners and wrapped a Tim Hortons location all in black, to conduct a unique taste test. As customers gathered with their curiosity piqued, the team invited some of the braver guests inside to the restaurant's pitch-black, sight-stealing interior — providing the perfect platform to test Dark Roast's taste profile.

Consumer reactions were captured, filmed and released online the same day the product was launched in-store. JWT also created the #TimsDark hashtag so customers were able to find content and stories, as well as share their own after they, too, had tried the new blend.

Following the campaign, which earned more than 91 million total media impressions, Tim Hortons' share of the brewed coffee market has risen one full share point, representing 14 million cups of coffee.

The #TimsDark video was the most viewed YouTube video in Canada during August 2014 and the #TimsDark videos received more than 2.9 million views on YouTube in its initial four months.

As of July 2015, Tim Hortons had sold 85 millions cups of Dark Roast, including 52 million cups in its first four months. Dark Roast now accounts for 13% of Tim Hortons' total brewed coffee sales.