Careem Egypt: Bringing The Party To You, Ramadan Style

Ramadan is the ad Superbowl for MENA and that means a vast majority of brands save their budgets for a major extravagant ad to capture audiences during the season. It also means that a majority of those ads are aiming more towards show and tell, flashy objects and catchy tunes that only add to a consumer’s playlist.

What about brands that take the time to deep dive, research and grab insight on today’s consumer and provide them with something they need? We take a look at one of this year’s Ramadan ads/campaigns that hits the mark on identifying a consumer need that is specific to the season and providing a creative solution for it.

This Ramadan, Careem created a special promotion for users who are playing host for iftars or sohours that allows them to extend free rides & ride discounts to their “3ozouma” guests. Thus making it easier for their guests to reach their “3ozouma” in the busy Ramadan traffic while avoiding Iftar road rage and parking issues- which are so much worse when we are fasting!

Careem’s ad clearly targets teens and young adults, who are excited to meet up and go out for Ramadan but usually have less of a budget, making this fun ad a well-tailored fit for its audience.

The small details are also important when considering how much insight the brand and agency put into this short copy, such as the sarcastic “mnawaren” while everyone is pretty much passing out after finally eating.

Overall, the idea for the promocode is an interesting one, segmenting it away from Careem’s usual codes and offers by making it truly tailor-made for the season. A sense of humor, fun writing and a dash of deep thinking and consumer insight makes this ad one of the more relevant ads of the season.

Where is Sherif?

Our only question for Careem’s agency this year is where’d Sherif go? The titular character and host of the ad disappears as soon as his guests arrive. It’s like a minigame of Where’s Waldo, aka where’s Sherif?

Clearly the team behind the ad knew exactly where he would be, probably in the kitchen for requests or hiding out while waiting for guests to leave so he can continue his show.

Don’t think so? Where do you think Sherif ran off to?