Tim Hortons Roll Up The Rim 2012: 5 Facts You Should Know About This Iconic Promotion

Tim Hortons’ Roll Up The Rim To Win contest is back for its 26th year, and the company behind Canada’s most successful fast food chain is promising $60 million in prizes for 2012.

Since it began in 1986, Roll Up The Rim has become an icon of Canadian consumerism and one of the most closely followed promotions in the country’s history, with 88 per cent of prizes typically redeemed.

This year’s contest features “one of the biggest prize pools ever,” the company boasts, and among the prizes are 40 Toyota Camry Hybrids, 100 Panasonic 3D TVs, 25,000 $100 Tim cards and 47 million food prizes, among others.

But the contest wasn’t always so generous. When it began in 1986, as what the company calls a “thank-you” to Tim Hortons customers, the largest prize was a snack pack of Timbits.

Here are some other facts about Roll Up The Rim -- plus check out our gallery of what Twitterers are saying about #RollUpTheRim.

5 Facts About Tim Hortons' Roll Up The Rim To Win

5 Facts About Roll Up The Rim To Win(01 of06)

Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck (credit:CP)

Biggest Prize In Its First Year: Timbits(02 of06)

When Timmies launched Roll Up The Rim in 1986 as a "thank-you" to customers, the largest prize was a snack box of Timbits. Needless to say, the contest has grown in scope since then.Photo: Flickr/Calgary Reviews (credit:Flickr: Calgary Reviews)

Uneven Prize Distribution(03 of06)

If you live on Prince Edward Island, your chances of winning a Roll Up The Rim prize are considerably better than if you live in Ontario. That's because Tim Hortons spreads prizes across the country according to geography, not population density. "If it was all equalized, some places like P.E.I. or New Brunswick might not get one at all," a Timmies rep said. "This is just about trying to create some excitement."Photo: Flickr/n_wilsey

Roll Up The Rim: Kandahar Edition(04 of06)

Until last year, Timmies' famous promotion extended to its location in Afghanistan, which the company set up to serve Canadian soldiers. The Afghan version of the promo featured its own set of prizes, but Tim Hortons' presence in Agfhanistan has come to a close with Canada's reduced role in the war.Photo: Canadian troops in Kandahar, Afghanistan line up for donuts and coffee at Tim Hortons, Thursday Jun 29, 2006. (CP PHOTO/ John Cotter) (credit:CP)

Only 56 Per Cent Can RRRoll Up The RRRim(05 of06)

According to a study commissioned by Tim Hortons, only 56 per cent of Canadians can roll their r's like the Timmies commercials show. Only one in five can hold a rolled 'r' for more than 15 seconds, and men appear to be better at it than women.(Alamy photo) (credit:Alamy)

387 Million Prizes In 25 Years(06 of06)

As one of the country's longest-running promotions, Roll Up the Rim has handed out some 387 million prizes since its launch. Says Bill Moir,Tim Hortons' chief brand and marketing officer: "Roll Up the Rim to Win is not only an important part of Tim Hortons' history, it has become an annual Canadian tradition."Photo: Tim Hortons President and CEO Donald B. Schroeder speaks at the company's AGM in Toronto on May 13, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn (credit:CP)

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Tim Hortons Roll Up The Rim 2012: 5 Facts You Should Know About This Iconic Promotion

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