For decades, Ramadan advertising has been a predictable playbook: cue the dramatic music, roll out the slow-motion family reunions and bring on the heart-wrenching generosity. The result? A sea of emotionally charged, tear-jerking commercials that leave audiences reaching for tissues faster than they reach for their iftar dates. But here’s the thing – Ramadan isn’t just about sentimentality. It’s also about joy, laughter and the kind of slapstick humour that only emerges when someone is running on three hours of sleep and an empty stomach.
Between the legendary Favazeer game shows, over-the-top sitcoms and unintentional comedy of fasting-induced forgetfulness, Ramadan is already packed with entertainment. So why are brands still so afraid to make people laugh?
Shift in humour: from Hollywood to the holy month
Globally, humour in advertising is king. The Super Bowl is a $7m-per-30-seconds comedy show. Brands are ditching the tearful violin solos for witty one-liners and Gen Z refuses to engage with anything that doesn’t make them chuckle or at least smirk through their cynicism. Even B2B brands – yes, the ones selling industrial printers – are injecting humour into their campaigns.
So why does Ramadan advertising still insist on making us cry? It’s as if brands believe that humour and holiness are mutually exclusive when, in reality, they’ve always gone hand in hand. The Musalsalat Ramadan TV series thrives on humour. From pranks to playful banter, Ramadan TV is an entertainment powerhouse that draws millions of viewers. If audiences are already laughing, why aren’t brands joining in on the fun?
The playbook: entertaining Ramadan advertisements done right
Think of all the relatable, meme-worthy moments Ramadan brings. The dramatic ‘who drank all the Vimto?’ accusations. The overly enthusiastic relative who insists on making 17 different kinds of qatayef – only to eat two. The communal struggle of trying to keep a straight face when someone’s stomach growls in the middle of Taraweeh prayers. These are comedy gold.
Brands have an opportunity to lean into these universally understood experiences. Picture a fast-food brand poking fun at the last-minute iftar rush, when people transform into Olympic sprinters to get their orders in. Or an ad showcasing the hilarity of suhoor confusion – when you wake up at 3am and start buttering a remote control instead of toast. These moments resonate because they’re real, they’re funny, and they’re shared by millions.
Why humour wins (every time)
Humour isn’t just entertaining – it’s scientifically proven to make messages stick. People remember what makes them laugh. It builds brand love, strengthens emotional connections and, most importantly, gets shared. In a world where social media dictates advertising success, shareability is everything. And what gets shared more than anything else? Funny, relatable content.
There’s wisdom in laughter, and there’s connection in comedy. Ramadan advertising should embrace that. Instead of every brand fighting to outdo the other in the ‘who can make the audience cry harder’ Olympics, why not see who can make them laugh the loudest?
Laughter is the best marketing strategy
It’s time to rethink Ramadan advertising. Sentimentality will always have its place, but humour deserves a seat at the table – preferably right next to the samosas. People don’t just want to be emotionally moved; they want to be entertained. They want to laugh at their shared experiences, see their own Ramadan struggles reflected in a lighthearted way and enjoy the content
they consume.
So, let’s give them something new. Something fresh. Something that makes them spit out their Vimto in laughter instead of tears. Because, in a month filled with love, family and delicious food, there’s plenty of room for joy.
After all, who said marketing during Ramadan couldn’t have a sense of humour?
Lastly, if brands want to infuse humour into their Ramadan campaigns, here’s a quick cheat sheet of comedic goldmines:
1. The suhoor confusion: Waking up disoriented, mistaking shampoo for honey, or trying to eat sambousek with a fork
upside down.
2. The iftar race: That dramatic moment when someone sprints to grab the last samosa, only to lose to an overenthusiastic auntie.
3. The unspoken Vimto wars: Every household has a Vimto hoarder who ‘mysteriously’ finishes the entire bottle before mid-Ramadan.
4. Fasting-induced forgetfulness: Walking into a room and forgetting why, trying to Google something without WiFi, or replying to texts out loud.
5. Taraweeh struggles: That one person whose stomach growls so loudly in prayer that they start pretending it wasn’t them.
6. Overloaded iftar plates: The ambitious pile of food that was supposed to be ‘just a little bit of everything’.
7. The post-iftar food coma: Falling asleep mid-conversation, or dramatically refusing to move an inch post-kunafa consumption.
By Osama Siddiq , Founder and Executive Creative Director, LION
