Ramadan Iftar Sand Clock
Ramadan is the month where Muslims fast. From sunrise to sunset, one does not eat or drink. And so, in Muslim countries, it is not culturally appropriate to show food images in ads during the day. And this is especially true in Saudi Arabia, the heartland of Islam. Despite that, many restaurants in the Kingdom still advertise during the day. They do it in the hopes of getting people to choose their products for Iftar – the breaking of fast at sunset. McDonald’s Saudi Arabia also wanted to advertise its Iftar specials. But McDonald’s also wanted to remain culturally sensitive and respectful. Our challenge was to achieve both.
IDEA
Introducing, the first ever campaign that follows the cycle of Ramadan to the minute. The McDonald’s Iftar Sand Clock.
We transformed people’s beloved McDonald’s menu items such as the Fries, the Big Mac and the Sundae, into sand clocks. At every sunrise they would be empty and as the day goes by, they would fill up. Taking a whole 12 hours to do so. Just in time for sunset, they would reveal themselves fully.
RESULTS
- 147% increase in positive mentions on social media
- More than 2.4 million media impressions
- 34.8% increase in drive-thru sales during Ramadan
- Voted top 5 integrated campaigns of the year in Campaign ME
DISRUPTION
The sand clocks were primarily made visible to everyone on print and outdoor. The sand clocks were turned into multiple integrated touchpoints covering the whole of the Kingdom: interactive outdoors, installations, drive through mupis, indoor interactive screens and digital interactive banners and ads. What’s more, everyday, the timing of sunrise and sunset changes by a minute or two. Our sand clocks were up to date every day, and they worked perfectly on the timing of the day. We even booked over and hijacked our competitor’s ads to stop them from showing food and to show our sand clocks instead.
DETAILS
Media
Outdoor, Digital
Client
McDonald’s
Role
Creative Director
Date
April 2020