Astute brands across Muslim-majority countries and diasporas are tapping into Ramadan’s daily rituals, connecting with audiences by acknowledging the importance of habitual touchpoints. While KitKat Canada’s campaign stretches seasonal products beyond gimmicks, Uber Eats UK’s dynamic geolocated billboards recognise Iftar (the meal with which Muslims break their fast) and Coca-Cola Pakistan’s ‘sunset to sunrise’ slot.

Several brands are keying into Ramadan’s hugely important charitable component, and the rise of civic commerce as a wider trend (see Civic Commerce: Socialising the Retail Revolution). These include Anglo-Indian street-food chain Chaiiwala’s support of Dubai’s delivery drivers and British refugee charity Choose Love’s Iftar box donations.

Balancing fasting’s physical demands with people’s desire to stay healthy throughout Ramadan (see Key Stats), some sports brands and institutions have posited religion and fitness as twin dedications, flagging the rewards of physical and emotional discipline. Others have created public campaigns (from hiking trails to pauses during football games) to state their solidarity with the community.

Buying new outfits for Eid is a tradition followed by many, while designer tableware is also a prime focus this year. Tapping into this high spending category (see Key Stats), luxury department stores, online fashion marketplaces and brands are drawing on traditional Middle Eastern and Islamic symbols, like travelling caravans of traders and celestial imagery for pop-ups and ad campaigns.

Retailers like Aldi (Germany) and Tesco (UK) are capitalising on the central role food plays during Ramadan and Eid with chef-led content and ad campaigns riffing on family gatherings. With the cost-of-living crisis impacting Muslim communities (see Key Stats), discount brands are particularly well-placed to cement their relationships with consumers this Ramadan.