Gut has held onto the Canadian creative account for Tim Hortons after a competitive review, keeping one of the agency’s most visible Canadian relationships in place.
“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Tim Hortons, which has been a part of Gut Toronto’s story from the very beginning,” Gut Toronto CEO Ryan O’Hagan said in a statement to Adweek.
O’Hagan added that the two companies have built “an incredible relationship rooted in trust, collaboration, and a shared belief in the power of brave creativity.”
From project partner to agency of record
Gut and Tim Hortons have worked together since 2018. The agency became the brand’s agency of record in July 2021, and has since produced celebrity-driven campaigns with Justin Bieber and leaned into Canadian cultural touchpoints.
According to sources familiar with the process, the review was a genuine contest: it came down to three agencies before Tim Hortons chose to stay with Gut.
Why the account matters now
Tim Hortons is owned by Restaurant Brands International. In the last quarter, the chain posted $2 billion in U.S. sales, up 4% year over year. But Canadian sales rose only 0.1% in the same period. The brand has also built a small but growing U.K. footprint of around 70 franchise locations.
- Gut has worked with Tim Hortons since 2018 and has been agency of record since July 2021.
- The competitive review narrowed to three agencies, according to sources.
- U.S. sales reached $2 billion last quarter, up 4% year over year.
- Canadian sales grew just 0.1% in the same period.
The split between U.S. momentum and Canadian stagnation matters to marketers. Celebrity and cultural work has kept the brand visible, but the home market remains Tim Hortons’ largest creative challenge. Tim Hortons did not respond to Adweek’s request for comment by publication time.
What it means for marketing teams
For agencies, the retention is a reminder that long-term creative investment can become a defensible moat in a pitch. Celebrity and cultural relevance gave Tim Hortons a reason to stay, even as it reviewed alternatives.
For brands, the same case study carries a caution. An agency that understands the brand is valuable, but comfort does not fix a flat home market. The next phase of the partnership will likely be judged on whether strong cultural work can move Canadian sales, not only generate buzz.
The outcome also fits a broader pattern in reviews: brands often reward agencies that can connect deep brand knowledge to a new growth narrative. Years of Tim Hortons work gave Gut the raw material to argue exactly that.
The practical framework for agency-client relationships is simple: treat the relationship as renewable every quarter. Agencies should document commercial impact, refresh the creative lens, and keep pushing work that makes the brand hard to leave.
Source: Adweek
