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This Ramadan, many brands launched campaigns that defined the season and left a lasting impression on audiences. While many campaigns successfully connected with viewers, there was also a noticeable pattern in the repetition of specific storytelling approaches.
These recurring themes are not inherently ineffective; on the contrary, they reflect what audiences value during Ramadan. However, when used frequently without fresh perspectives, they can start to feel familiar. Exploring these patterns offers insight into how brands approached storytelling this season.
Family Gatherings and Iftar Tables
This is a very common theme to be used in adverts, but sometimes it makes the audience feel that adverts are just copying from each other.
Scenes of families gathering around Iftar tables, sharing meals, and enjoying each other’s company appeared across multiple campaigns. While these visuals perfectly capture the spirit of Ramadan, their repeated use often resulted in similar storytelling structures, making it harder for individual adverts to stand out. In fact, the repeated theme/idea can make it hard for the viewer to remember which advert belongs to which brand.
Nostalgia and “Old Ramadan” Feelings
Brands often relied on nostalgic visuals, lanterns, old neighborhoods, childhood memories, and traditional songs to evoke emotional attachment. Although nostalgia works well during Ramadan, overusing it can make campaigns predictable.
Many adverts leaned on familiar imagery and references to the past, creating a sense of warmth but sometimes lacking a new or distinctive angle.
Jingle-Based Adverts
Music remained one of the most dominant creative formats this year. Numerous brands adopted song-driven adverts, using catchy melodies and rhythmic brand mentions to capture attention. From telecom to F&B and Banking, jingle-based adverts were everywhere. While some of them were catchy, others were a bit off.
Jingles can enhance memorability, but the heavy reliance on this format led to similarities in structure, where many campaigns felt more like music videos than narrative-driven stories.
Celebrity-Led Campaigns
Many campaigns depended heavily on famous actors or singers to attract attention. Celebrity presence continues to be a powerful tool in Ramadan advertising, drawing viewers and increasing reach. However, in some cases, the focus shifted more toward the celebrity than the idea itself, making certain campaigns feel less about storytelling and more about star power.
Emotional Storytelling About Togetherness
Messages about connection, unity, and sharing moments with loved ones, whether they were with us or abroad. This theme aligns strongly with Ramadan values, as the season emphasizes relationships and togetherness. However, similar emotional narratives were repeated across campaigns, often following comparable story arcs and visual cues.
Humor
While many adverts were humor-based, some of them were very successful. Most of the successful campaigns were actually humor-based. This season, Humor proved to be an effective way to engage audiences, especially when built on relatable insights. Campaigns that used humor thoughtfully managed to stand out, while others relied on familiar comedic setups that did not always feel fresh.
The Surprise Guest
Some brands built their campaigns around the unexpected appearances of celebrities, using surprise cameos to capture viewers’ attention and generate excitement. This approach created moments of anticipation and engagement, but as more brands adopted the same idea, the element of surprise became less impactful.
Encouragement and Uplifting Narratives
Several campaigns focused on uplifting audiences by highlighting ambition, perseverance, and the importance of supporting one another. These motivational messages positioned brands as partners in personal growth and success. While inspiring, this theme also appeared frequently, with similar tones and messaging across different sectors.
The recurring themes in Ramadan 2026 advertising highlight how brands consistently draw from the cultural and emotional essence of the season. However, the key challenge lies in presenting these themes in new and creative ways. The campaigns that stood out were not necessarily the ones that avoided these ideas, but the ones that reinterpreted them through fresh insights, unique execution, and authentic storytelling. Ultimately, familiarity can create connection, but innovation is what makes a campaign truly memorable.
