Britannia took a step away from the familiar territory of family gatherings, reflection, generosity and shared meals for its Ramadan campaign, Live Ramadan.
Developed in collaboration with Amber Communications, the campaign shifts the focus from the typical portrayals of the holy month to how Ramadan is actually lived across the UAE.
Through the campaign, the brand aims to showcase how it fits within the natural rhythm of people’s lives during the Holy Month. The main film explores the various changes that take place during the month from different sleep cycles and the quieter moments as well as the social nuances that accompany these.
The insight
The campaign draws inspiration from the fact that life doesn’t stop in the UAE during the Holy Month and is more complicated.
Live Ramadan was built on the observation that Ramadan in the UAE, given the country’s multicultural nature, is lived by both people who fast and people who don’t fast. They all experience adjusted schedules, iftars, and reduced work hours and navigate social sensitivities.
“Ramadan is not lived only by those who fast. The UAE thrives as a multicultural society, where colleagues, neighbours and friends also observe the month by association. And yet, this shared state of living is rarely acknowledged in communication,” says Leslie Paul, ECD at Amber Communications.
Through the campaign, the brand aimed to achieve three main objectives. First, it wanted to expand its visibility beyond the context of the dining table to be part of people’s complete day and own occasions beyond dessert bases. The second objective was to build an emotional connection with both fasting and non-fasting audiences. Finally, it wanted to position the biscuits as food that’s bridging and connecting people during discreet, personal and transitional moments.
“We wanted the campaign to recognise this broader reality. To present Ramadan as a month that shapes how everyone moves through the day, regardless of how they observe it,” says Sachin Wali, Marketing Head at Britannia.
The approach
The Live Ramadan campaign was launched through a hero film that portrayed familiar moments that show that not everyone fasts in the same way. It brings moments familiar to both people who are fasting and those that are not, showcasing moments such as looking around before taking a discreet bite.
It highlights instances even where people might be exempt from fasting due to health conditions or if they’re travelling; social pressure can create moments of concealment.
“Rather than highlighting or explaining these moments, we pegged Britannia as a silent, supportive observer, recognising them quietly,” says Afshana Khaisar, Assistant Brand Manager at Britannia. “The campaign avoids labels and moral commentary, allowing real life to unfold naturally on screen.”
The campaign targeted two overlapping groups as part of its strategy. The first targeted group was the fast observers, which included families, working professionals, elderly people, mothers and travellers.
The second group targeted those who were not observing fasts. This under-represented segment was built off the insight that even those who do not fast still live and experience Ramadan in different ways. These included non-fasting UAE residents, individuals who were exempt due to underlying conditions, night-shift workers and students living alone.
The roll out
The campaign was rolled out in three sections. First a set of teaser films was launched where the cast of the main film asked the audience to reflect and share how they live Ramadan.
Followed by the hero film which was rolled out across digital and social media with the ad running throughout Ramadan.
The final set of films released were the sustainance videos where people shared their real-life ramadan situations.
It was additionally boosted by influencer collaborations, vox-pops and on-ground activations such as the 4 AM Club and The Carrom Break.
Identifying Suhoor as one of the loneliest hours of the month, the brand used the occasion as a cultural entry point, branding it as the 4 AM Club. Britannia collaborated with eight influencers across different categories such as travel, culinary and lifestyle to show how different people experienced the hours before the fast for the day begins. From the preparation of the day ahead to how they begin their fast, the brand leveraged lived storytelling to strengthen its message.
Another activation, The Carrom Break similarly focused on the in-between hours which brands rarely tap into. Britannia partnered with a Dubai-board game cafe, Unwind Cafe, installing Britannia-branded Carrom boards across its branches. The game of Carrom is traditionally played in the post-Iftar downtime, bringing and connecting people together – further amplifying the brand’s messaging.
Tying everything, Britannia also brought in its actual product line to the cafe through a limited-edition shakes and dessert menu.
The brand also partnered with tidding to conduct on-ground interviews with residents to explore and understand how they experience Ramadan differently directly from them.
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Measuring success
The campaign’s primary success metrics are focused on brand imagery and emotional resonance. These are determined by brand lift studies via YouTube and programmatic, quarterly health trackers, and the total engagement metrics such as view-through rates and engagement rate.
Credits
Client: Strategic Foods International (Britannia)
Marketing Head: Sachin Wali
Assistant Brand Manager: Afshana Khaisar
Agency: Amber Comm
ECD: Leslie Paul
Brand Services Director: Nicholas Sequeira
Senior Writers: Mohamed Tarek Al Saadany, Neha Sathe
Art Directors: Wilson Philipose, George Allen
Associate Brand Services Director: Anisha Gurbaxani
Brand Specialist: Joy Britto
Social Media Lead: Rosan Reodica
Production: &Cut Productions
Director: Arun Francis
EP/DP: Drona Antony
BTS/2nd Unit: Sharon Thomas
