A still from Hilton's Ramadan campaign.This year’s Ramadan campaign from Hilton features a modern reimagining of Fawazeer Ramadan, the beloved riddle series that once defined family entertainment across the region during the holy month in an effort to prove that some traditions are too good to leave in the past.
For generations, solving daily fawazeer (riddles) was a staple of Ramadan evenings, a time when families gathered around the TV, piecing together clues and guessing answers. Hilton’s take on the classic taps into that same nostalgia, but with a fun, playful spin that combines retro charm with today’s modern hospitality.
“Our mission was to create a campaign that speaks to the heart of every individual, honoring their unique culture and experiences,” said Iva Skrlec, Destination Marketing Director, Hilton MEA.
The campaign’s design and narrative
The four-part series featured a young couple from the 90s navigating a contemporary Hilton Ramadan experience. From buffets too good to choose from to late-night Suhoor cravings, each episode takes viewers on a visual and cultural throwback.
“While Hilton showcased its modern luxury, the couple’s humorous encounters and the helpfulness of our Team Members provided comedic relief,” Skrlec said.
Each episode concluded with engaging riddles, encouraging audience interaction and tapping into the nostalgic charm of this traditional entertainment.
The insights behing Hilton’s Fawazeer Ramadan-inspired campaign
Skrlec explained that Hilton’s approach intended to navigate highly saturated marketing during the holy month. A key challenge was tackling the complexity of engaging a multifaceted audience across extensive geographical coverage.
“Each audience segment has distinct aspirations and preferences for tailored hotel experiences, but the reality is, regardless of ethnicity, location or preference, Ramadan resets and unites people through shared emotions and values,” she said.
Inspired by this insight, Hilton took the route of curating an ‘immersive experience’ to allow its audience to relive ‘Ramadan’s golden-era days’. “Nostalgia is a very big theme in advertising with people simply longing for simpler, better times,” Skrlec explained. “We decided to navigate the emotional landscape of Ramadan by tapping into the deep emotional ties and shared memories associated with the Holy Month through the revival of Fawazeer Ramadan.”
The campaign was developed to resonate emotionally with audiences in the region, while staying true to Hilton’s brand pillars. “While Hilton remains the epitome of hospitality, our retro couple relive the golden days of Ramadan, blending seamlessly with the core pillars of The Stay,” Skrlec said. “By connecting authentically with local audiences through our Ramadan campaign, we can demonstrate Hilton’s deep understanding and respect for local culture.”
Key tracking and results
The campaign ran across Hilton Arabia’s social media platforms, the brand’s first dedicated in-language social channel. “Being able to engage with and speak to our audience with content that is appealing to them throughout Ramadan, in their preferred language, drives impact across every stage of the customer journey,” Skrlec said. “By utilising our social channels for this campaign, we were able to drive outbound content and two-way conversations, through which we build awareness and drive consideration of Hilton.”
Hilton’s Ramadan campaign aims to go beyond short-term sales, using its brand platform ‘The Stay’ to authentically connect with audiences through meaningful storytelling.
By tracking a wide range of KPIs – from bookings to engagement metrics – Skrlec explained that the brand aims to test its content strategy with this campaign to see what method effectively strengthen long-term relationships.
“We have a comprehensive list of KPIs we are monitoring across all channels, both organic and paid,” she said. “From business objectives such as digital direct bookings, to behavioral ones including website traffic, video views and VTRs, post engagements, newsletter and app engagement to the way it impacts brand consideration.”
View this post on Instagram
She added: “While this is a tentpole moment campaign, it builds a long-term foundation for us to meaningfully communicate with our audiences.”
“Alongside our paid media amplification, we maximised our own-channels by utilising the Hilton Honors member database, delivering exclusive in-app riddle content and strategically timed newsletters to promote episode launches and riddle solutions,” she said.
She further testified that the response to the campaign has been overwhelmingly positive so far. “We have seen an uptick in social following and engagement and an increase in traffic, views and bookings,” she said. “But equally important, we have heard heartwarming feedback from our customers, stakeholders and team members, many of whom commented on how this concept brought back fond memories and put a smile on their face.”
The campaign has been rolled out across the GCC, Egypt and Morocco on Hilton’s social channels within the region.
Credits
Client: Hilton
Iva Skrlec – Director, Destination Marketing MEA
Mirvat Wehbe – Senior Manager, Destination Marketing MEA
Nikhil Tailor – Senior Manager, Destination Marketing MEA
Lauren Taylor – Manager, Destination Marketing MEA
Chloe Chappenden – Senior Manager, Customer Strategy & Engagement EMEA
Fatma Sheikh – Social Content Creator & Editor MEA
Fatme El Hajj – Manager, Platforms & Content MEA
Lara Senbanjo – Manager, Media Planning & Activation EMEA
Agency: Monks. MEA
Omar Abou-Ezzeddine – Managing Director
Mohammed AlThaher – VP Growth MEA
Nada Nassar – Creative Film Director MEA
Hoda El Nazer – Head of Film
Sara Payo – Senior Account Director
Mohamed Rady – Head of Accounts MEA
Reem Amin – Producer MEA
Production:
Hadi El Bagoury – Director
Hadi Awada – Choreographer
Gabriel Rabuini – Animation
Ahmed Essam – Head of Production
Dentsu:
Daisy Turnecliff
Mustafa Ozturk
Florence Langford
Holly Varney
Laura Baldrick
