As if I didn't just blog enough...

I just finalized a long post about branding and advertising, however, I feel the need to post this immediately. It is 100% related to the previous post yet is local and tangible and I want to blog this while everything is accurate in my mind.

Ok. So, Tim Hortons has come to be a household name in many Canadian homes. They continue to be a household name despite the fact that their coffee is not Fairly Traded, despite the fact that they still have not made any move to introduce a biodegradable sleeve to their repertoire (rather then the double- cupping method), considering that their cups are not biodegradable and Tim Hortons comprises over 60% of the coffee market. Ok. So, that aside Tim Hortons for the most part, even after turning out to be any other corporate giant out to make a name for themselves, is of course, selling a brand, not a product. Consumers don't buy the product, they buy the brand and all its associations of being a Canadian Tradition.

Anyhow, all this aside, they have at least done environmentally conscious consumers one favour by offering a discount if you bring in a travel mug or reuse your previous cup. A ten cent discount- that's how much we are willing to spend to help save the earth. Now we've put a price on it. Anyhow, I digress.

This in fact is just a consequence of Tim Horton's being a stupid crappy corporation.

So, we go through the drive through tonight, and I place the order, ordering mine in a travel mug that is "about the size of a large." We pull up to the window, we hand over the mug, and they pour the contents of one of their large disposable cups into my travel mug.

I honestly could not believe that I witnessed that. Now, this has happened to me three times at three different locations. This is NOT a coincidence. Tim Hortons is creating the illusion that they care about the environment at least a little to give you a ten cent discount off of your coffee to bring in travel mugs, but they really just pour your coffee into a paper cup for efficiency's sake at the drive -thru, and throw it out. They literally trick you into thinking that you are decreasing your environmental footprint! That is so unethical on so many levels! Individuals are working hard to try be responsible, and places like Tim Hortons, "institutions" are deceiving us by having us believe that they would not be so damn stupid and disrepectful- BUT, they are. These corporations also don't give us and our values much credit do they? If we are going to seriously change the world are we going to resist "brands" entirely? Will we be able to find some way to reconcile with them? I am seriously going to be contacting head office about this. You should too. I am so outraged that this is happening- I will definitely be boycotting Tim Hortons.

**Just a side note** Even if for some reason Tim Hortons tries to say that they reuse the cups or some crap then they've got some bigger problems re: Food Safety

**Update** As i re-think this experience i have considered that the drive-thru itself is an issue. In an effort to be eco-friendly the drive-thru's gotta go. You know, emissions.