Watch: Tesco marks Ramadan with a creative billboard campaign

A creative new Ramadan campaign launched by UK’s leading retail chain Tesco has garnered a lot of attention due to its spirit of inclusion this season. The billboard ad has digital screens showing empty plates of food that gradually fill in towards sunset during Iftar time, when Muslims break their fast. According to Tesco, the campaign is “in honour of everyone fasting”, which is why the plates only fill up as the sun goes down. The billboards are reportedly positioned eastward in line with the setting sun. They are currently displayed in areas of the country with larger Muslim communities, such as Brent in London, Birmingham and Bradford.

Alongside the billboard campaign is a social media drive sharing recipes and inspiration, as well as in-store executions around aisles in Tesco stores 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.

BBH developed the campaign with diversity and inclusion consultancy The Unmistakables and commissioned Khalil Musa, a photographer and a practising Muslim, as well as food consultant Dina Macki, to work on it. Part of the cast was selected from Muslim colleagues within the Race and Ethnicity Network at Tesco, who were also consulted throughout the campaign development. The campaign is the first time that Tesco has marked Ramadan with a significant advertising push. “Our creative ambition was simple, to create work that is not only representative but also gave a voice to our Muslim creative industry,”said  Helen Rhodes, ECD at BBH London.

“Close collaboration with new creative partners, industry-leading inclusion experts at The Unmistakables, the Race and Ethnicity Network at Tesco and our friends at Mediacom and DOOH.com, underpinned by a willingness to listen and learn, made this possible, and drove the creation and development of this campaign from the get-go.” added Helen.