One of P.A.'s Tim Hortons restaurants is featured in a new TV ad campaign. (Tim Hortons)

By Glenn Hicks

famous places

Local Tims hits the screen

Nov 19, 2019 | 4:47 PM

The key intersection at Second Ave.W. and 15^th St.W. in Prince Albert is set to get a whole lot of screen time, and no, we’re not talking about the city’s forthcoming digital billboard.

A corner of P.A. is getting some serious nationwide exposure thanks to the latest TV commercial highlighting the coffee offered at Tim Hortons. The local franchise ended up as one of 22 locations across Canada to make the final edit of their new For Canada spot which is also featured online and on the company’s social media channels.

“It’s great they acknowledged a small city like Prince Albert in Saskatchewan for Tim’s video,” local franchisee Ed Zaparaniuk told paNOW. “It’s great because [the ad] also shows a lot of popular places in Canada and a lot of smaller places in Alberta.”

Zaparaniuk said he knew the camera crew was on location recently but it was a pleasant surprise to see the end result.

“I didn’t know what they were up to… I didn’t know what was behind it,” he said.

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The ad starts with a shot of a desolate-looking Tim Hortons in New Brunswick with the accompanying voice-over: “What’s so special about these lonesome-looking places?”

Around halfway through the one-minute video the P.A. location makes its atmospheric appearance, sandwiched between the clips showing the snowy-backdropped outlet in Blairmore, Alberta and cloudy Meteghan, Nova Scotia.

Compared to the often very brief snippets of the other places, Prince Albert gets a whole double-double six-seconds of airtime. The camera shows the local restaurant, red sky in the background, with a large semi parked outside, its yellow warning lights flickering to the voice-over: “ …for the truck drivers whose home away from home looks a lot like a Tims.”

According to a media release from Tim Hortons, the ad showcases the unique look, location and even wildlife in the everyday moments where Tim Hortons coffee plays in the lives of Canadians.

“From the morning commute, driving to hockey practice or chatting with friends, Tim Hortons coffee is always there for Canada,” the media release said.

Any sort of national exposure like this can only be good for the city as the P.A. and District Chamber of Commerce was eager to point out.

“There is a great amount of pride to see our members’ companies featured in National ads. Congrats Ed, Cheryl and Todd on this accomplishment,” CEO Elise Hildebrandt told paNOW in an email.

So, next time you nip into the Tim Hortons on Second and 15^th, remember, you’re on famous turf.

You can check out the ad here.

—

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow