fbpx
AdvertisingCreativeDigitalDigitalFeaturedMarketingMediaSocialThe Work

Hardee’s highlights strong cultural roots during Ramadan ahead of Kuwait National Day

The campaign was executed by Horizon FCBKuwait through an integrated mix of channels, including DOOH, digital display placements, and always-on social media content to sustain momentum online.

Hardee's Ramadan Kuwait National Day Liberation Day HorizonFCBKuwait

Fast-food restaurant chain Hardee’s, in collaboration with Horizon FCBKuwait, has revealed a campaign that re-establishes its strong roots in Kuwaiti culture by highlighting the long-standing presence of the Al Deera Burger, an exclusive local patty, that initially launched in the 1990s.

The Al Deera launch campaign, which is running during Ramadan, has also been timed around National and Liberation Day, bringing back the local patty’s relevance for today’s audience – balancing familiarity with newness and innovation.

This balance was achieved by introducing a local collaboration with FICO.  The campaign leveraged linguistic duality through the pairing of Al Deera and FICO, two product names brought together in a local brand collaboration. Both names are rooted in Kuwaiti culture and carry layered Arabic meaning.

Al Deera (الديرة) refers both to Kuwait itself and to the Hardee’s exclusive local burger, reinforcing a sense of place and familiarity. FICO (فيكو), the famous Kuwaiti chips brand and a commonly used local slang term meaning “you”, reflects togetherness and collective pride. This meaning was echoed in the campaign song lyrics.

The narrative reflects a simple insight: while generations may differ and debate their preferences, their shared connection to Al Deera remains constant. In this context, Al Deera symbolically represents both the country and the product, creating an emotional link between culture, food, and people.

These layered meanings were naturally woven into the song and film, reinforcing the campaign’s central idea: “Together with Al Deera” (الديرة تجمعنا).

Rollout of the Hardee’s campaign

The campaign was executed through an integrated mix of channels to maximise reach and engagement. This included out-of-home visibility via DOOH, digital display placements, and always-on social media content to sustain momentum online.

A PR-led launch event also formed a key part of the rollout and was hosted at Hardee’s store located in one of Kuwait’s neighbourhoods. The event was managed by Horizon FCB Kuwait in collaboration with AXN, where the store was transformed into a 1990s-inspired setting.

Elements such as VHS tapes, cassette players, arcade games, Game Boys, and 90’s televisions were used to bring the nostalgia theme to life. The event helped generate earned media coverage and influencer-led content, extending the campaign’s reach beyond paid channels.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kuwait Times (@kuwaittimes)

As part of the campaign execution, bespoke graphic icons inspired by familiar emojis such as the heart, sunglasses, and “like” symbol were developed. These were reinterpreted using Sadu-inspired patterns and Hardee’s brand colors, alongside locally relevant elements.

The custom visuals were integrated across the hero film and wider creative assets, reinforcing the campaign’s cultural cues in a subtle and consistent way.

Film played a central role in the campaign, and wordplay played an important role in the film by helping strengthen memorability and deepen emotional engagement.

DOOH was selected to deliver strong appetite appeal and broad visibility for the Al Deera range and Pufak Loaded Fries at scale, particularly during a high-traffic period.

Digital display and social media were used to maintain a consistent presence across key touchpoints, reinforcing awareness, supporting consideration, and encouraging trial among both existing and new audiences.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Fajer Hayat (@fajereats)

Additionally, Hardee’s Kuwait collaborated with a group of local influencers who were invited to attend the PR launch event. Their presence helped amplify awareness through real-time content and social coverage, supporting the campaign’s reach and engagement.

Horizon FCBKuwait also invited members of the local press, including 360FM, which provided live radio coverage.

The campaign launched February 1st and will continue till March 14th nationwide across Kuwait.

The success of the campaign is being evaluated across a mix of brand and performance KPIs, including:

  • Video views, reaching more than 1 million  views within the first few days
  • Social media engagement, measured through likes, shares, comments and saves
  • Influencer reach and amplification across social platforms

CREDITS:

Client: Hardee’s

Creative agency: Horizon FCBKuwait

Managing director: Elie Farah

Creative director: Ahmed Zedan

Senior account director: Sara Zakhari

Film director: Mohamed Maged

Producer: Ahmed Shoaib

Event management: AXN

the authorAnup Oommen
Anup Oommen is the Editor of Campaign Middle East at Motivate Media Group, a well-reputed moderator, and a multiple award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of experience at some of the most reputable and credible global news organisations, including Reuters, CNN, and Motivate Media Group. As the Editor of Campaign Middle East, Anup heads market-leading coverage of advertising, media, marketing, PR, events and experiential, digital, the wider creative industries, and more, through the brand’s digital, print, events, directories, podcast and video verticals. As such he’s a key stakeholder in the Campaign Global brand, the world’s leading authority for the advertising, marketing and media industries, which was first published in the UK in 1968.