From top left: Rasha El-Ghoussaini, Head of Agency – Snap Inc. MENA; Ghadeer Khub, Director of the Creative & Production Department, DCT Abu Dhabi; Stanislas Brunais, Marketing Director, Ounass; Roxane Magbanua, General Manager – Marketing, Al-Futtaim Automotive.Top brand marketers from across the region gathered at the Campaign Breakfast Briefing: Ramadan Advertising and the Year Ahead for Media & Marketing 2025 to share their strategies for Ramadan advertising in 2025.
This recap summarises insights from a discussion powered by Snap Inc. and facilitated by Rasha El-Ghoussaini, Head of Agency – Snap Inc. MENA, featuring marketers from various industries.
Ghadeer Khub, Director of the Creative & Production Department, DCT Abu Dhabi, Roxane Magbanua, General Manager – Marketing, Al-Futtaim Automotive, and Stanislas Brunais, Marketing Director, Ounass sat down to share their take on how communications and creative storytelling around Ramadan has changed.
Top learnings included the importance of authentic Ramadan narratives by leveraging partnerships with regional content creators, understanding the market-specific shift in behaviours amongst consumers during the Holy Month, and connecting with them in new dynamic ways through the use of mixed reality technologies.
View the event gallery here.
Authentic narratives drive brand love during Ramadan
The panel revealed that influencers and creators are becoming more central to how brands communicate and share their stories. Instead of relying on traditional ad formats, using casted actors and models, brand marketers suggested leveraging regional content creators, who can incorporate brands through ‘real stories, by real people.’
“Real authentic stories is what’s going to create those cultural connections with audiences,” said DCT Abu Dhabi’s Khub. She explained that this is crucially important, especially within the tourism sector for the region, specifically to Abu Dhabi, where the challenge is to change misconceptions of visiting the city during the Holy Month.
Using this insight, DCT Abu Dhabi’s Ramadan campaign follows the theme of its namesake – ‘Time Moves Differently Here’ – depicting the true story of a Western traveller reflecting on her time spent in Abu Dhabi during Ramadan.
Ounass’ Brunais suggested that brands take an approach of “supporting people” when it comes to collaborating with content creators. “Give them [the creators] the freedom to tell the story they want to tell,” he said, explaining that with a brief framework, different creators can speak to different cohorts or ‘tribes’, creating authentic connections.
He also explained that this approach allows for naturally localised content, as creators specific to their markets will pick up on social nuances and linguistic dialects that a larger brand campaign for the region might miss.
Shift along with changing Ramadan consumer behaviours for authentic storytelling
Furthermore, panelists emphasised the need to adapt to shifts in consumer behaviour that the Holy Month brings to the region.
The shifting consumer behaviors during Ramadan, such as how people interact with technology, browse online, or shop during different hours demand a nuanced approach to marketing.
On the nuances from market to market within consumers in the region, Ounass’ Brunais said, “Don’t disappoint, be where they are and be at the moment where they expect you the most.” He supported this message with insights that revealed different consumer behaviours from Saudi Arabian shoppers to ones in the UAE.
“The Saudi market crashed our website at 2 a.m. Dubai time. When most consumers are resting in the UAE (because of its diverse demographics), for Saudis, it’s the peak of their day.”
DCT Abu Dhabi’s Khub backed this by suggesting the different social practices during the Holy Month. “Ramadan is the only time of the year where it is probably socially acceptable to be out and about with colleagues at 3 a.m. and then in the office at 10 a.m. It’s also the only time of the year where we probably have enough energy in ourselves to actually get us out there and about across the day,” she said.
Al-Futtaim Automotive’s Magbanua, said, “If we talk about consumer behavioural changes, Ramadan is normally about three things: which is memories of togetherness, moments with family and friends, and the rising trend of ‘me time’, especially around the young generation in the region. If we don’t understand this as brands and we don’t lean into it, we’ve missed the main point of it all.”
Leverage newer technologies to communicate ‘Ramadan Kareem’
Storytelling that makes brand narratives around Ramadan feel authentic can be carried out to personal user-generated content and experiences through the use of AR and virtual reality technologies.
Magbanua explained that Al-Futtaim Automotive’s successful launch of its BYD Saudi came largely from the use of technology and relying on its digital partners. These technologies not only help personalise experiences (e.g., greeting “Ramadan Kareem” with AR) but also provide new avenues for engagement, particularly with younger generations like Gen Z and millennials.
“During the month of Ramadan, we observe similar patterns on Snapchat. Our users interact with our technology in distinct ways, particularly with augmented reality,” said Snap Inc.’s El-Ghoussaini. “This interaction serves various purposes, such as enhancing their shopping experience by trying on products through features like Ounass, or providing entertainment to help pass the time through gamified experiences.”
She concluded the panel with the three takeaways that brands need to stay true to the community narratives that Ramadan brings to the year. She also summarised the additional need to adapt to changing consumer behaviours and emphasised the need to leverage new technologies to connect with audiences on a personal level for brand marketing that forms authentic connections during Ramadan.
