To mark the month of Ramadan, Tesco has launched an innovative out-of-home campaign created by BBH about Iftar, the evening meal to signify the end of the daily fast. 

In a digital out-of-home campaign, audiences see empty plates filling up with food as the sun sets, signifying the Iftar meal eaten at the end of each day’s fast during Ramadan. The plates are held over the slogan “Together this Ramadan”, with the line “in honour of everyone fasting, these plates only fill up as the sun goes down.”

The campaign runs across billboards in areas with high Muslim populations including Brent in London and in Birmingham and Bradford. The campaign will remain on the digital screens for up to three hours as the sun sets, with no other ads running. To ensure that the sun sets behind the ad and the creative fades in as the sun goes down to accentuate the break of fast coinciding with sunset, all the billboards all face eastwards. 

The campaign was created by BBH and developed in partnership with MediaCom, DOOH.com and specialist out of home agency Kinetic, as well as strategic equity, diversity & inclusion consultancy The Unmistakables. “Our creative ambition was simple, to create work that is not only representative but, also, gave a voice to our Muslim creative industry,” explained Helen Rhodes, ECD, BBH London.

Working with The Unmistakables, BBH commissioned Khalil Musa, a photographer and a practising Muslim as well as food consultant Dina Macki, whose food is influenced by her middle eastern background. Part of the cast has been selected from Muslim colleagues within the Race and Ethnicity Network at Tesco, who were also consulted throughout the campaign development. 

The out-of-home creative runs alongside a social media drive sharing recipes and inspiration, as well as in-store executions around aisles stocking relevant products. The social campaign and in-store presence will build on the OOH message, offering practical and entertaining suggestions for ways to enjoy Iftar throughout the whole of Ramadan.

“It’s been a delight to work with Tesco and BBH to embed our trademarked inside out inclusion process into this campaign. Our team of inclusion consultants have been embraced with the end-to-end live learning we provide - right the way from planning and insight through to production and delivery.” explained Asad Dhunna Founder & Chief Executive Officer of The Unmistakables.

He added; “There’s a meme doing the rounds that brands are becoming better prepared for Ramadan than Muslims themselves, which is an indication of increasing cultural confidence amongst marketers and their agencies to represent a community that has so often been overlooked in the boardroom and on billboards. Long may it continue, inshallah”.

The campaign aims to reach the fasting Muslim population in the UK during this key time of year, in line with Tesco’s commitment to inclusion. As for brands that cite inclusion as a core brand value, it is essential to celebrate customers and be a part of important conversations and celebrations.