As we closely inspect this year’s Ramadan Ads, we can’t help but notice a common underlying theme: motivation and hope. And while many have delivered on said theme, we have one more brand to add to that list of those who have sparked confidence this year amongst Egyptians: Etisalat by e&.
What Did Etisalat by e& Have to Say This Year?
Capitalizing on the commonly used tagline “Sabe2 Bketir” -meaning to be ahead of one’s league-, the 2-minute ad relays a simple message: Etisalat by e& supports individual growth and each person’s journey to reaching new heights by challenging one’s self before others.
To emphasize the message further, Etisalat by e& chose a roster of Egyptian celebrities, artists, and athletes whose careers immaculately match this intended message. The ad featured Egyptian superstar Khaled El Nabawy, famed pianist Omar Khairat, Egyptian rapper, Wegz, members of Al Ahly SC, and the trailblazing female squash player; Nour El Tayeb.
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How Did Etisalat by e& Choose to Say It?
Straying away from conventional story-telling, Etisalat by e& opted for a more emotional ballade or quote shall we say. While we may have come across several Ramadan jingles this year, Etisalat by e& decided to pierce through these tunes with a 5-sentence quote that translates to:
“When I’m getting ahead, I think to myself that I am the person I wish to surpass. When you think to get ahead, only surpass yourself.. then you will really be ahead.”
Accompanied by music composed by none other than Khairat himself, the advert also showed each character facing another version of themselves and striving to surpass that version to reach their goals. For Nabawy, he congratulated himself for exceeding expectations with his acting and reaching newer heights in his career.
For Khairat, we see the famous pianist sitting across himself playing the piano and serenading a larger audience; proving to himself that he made it big and continues to out grow himself at every concert with every musical piece. As for Wegz, we see the rapper face himself at his own concert, symbolizing that he rose from his humbling beginnings to who he is now, a superstar who performed in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
El Tayeb is also seen challenging herself in a squash game and winning the championship; setting a new standard of excellence for herself. And finally, we see the Ahly SC team members, each competing with themselves on the field, training harder, scoring more wins, and surpassing their already existing levels of success.
And Why Did Etisalat by e& Choose These 5 Protagonists in Particular?
Leveraging the concept of “Sabe2 Bketir”, it seems Etisalat by e& carefully chose Egyptian figures and entities who have expedited success at an unusual rate in their respective industries.
Khaled El Nabawy
Being one of Egypt’s most compelling actors, El Nabawy has curated a 35-year career of memorable roles and characters that are recalled to this very day. While having debuted his acting career in 1990, he landed his first major role in 1994 after having been discovered by famed director Youssef Chahine. Since then, El Nabawy has achieved monumental success as an actor and even made it to the Hollywood screen in famous works such as Mullah and Fait Game. Today, he has starred in 20 series, 22 movies, and 1 theatrical play.
Omar Khairat
Believe it or not, the famed Egyptian pianist didn’t kickstart his piano-playing career until his later years. Khairat began to study piano and music in 1959 at the Egyptian Conservatoire. Until 1971, he was the drummer for the 60s Egyptian rock band, Les Petits Chats; a staple name in the country’s rock music scene. It wasn’t until 1983 that Khairat released his first movie track “The Night Fatma Was Arrested”. Since then, he has become a regional musical sage who bridges contemporary Arab and Western music. Khairat has won 8 awards; two of which were the prestigious Egyptian Cinema Oscars.
Wegz
Among the widely famous figures that were cast for this advert was the Egyptian trap artist; Wegz. The 24-year older artist’s name was first known to the public with his first release in 2018; followed by massive success in 2020 with “Dorak Gay”. The latter track had surpassed 24 million views in only 2 months; paving the way to Wegz’s current mainstream success. In 2020 and 2021, he was the most listened-to Spotify artist. Today, he is one of the most established trap artists that have carved a name for themselves amongst the genre’s herd.
Nour El Tayeb
The Egyptian squash player is an admirable example of being ahead of one’s league and setting new heights every day. The world’s No.6 squash player is known to have climbed a rather lengthy ladder of success. Joining Egypt’s World Team Championship in 2009, El Tayeb witnessed her first collective wins at the Women’s World Team Squash Championship in 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2022. As she rose in her career, she started to secure individual wins such as the 2011 WISPA Young Player of the Year, the 2016 2nd Egyptian National Championship title, and the 2022 PSA Women’s Spirit of Squash Award. Currently married to the world’s No.5 squash champion, Ali Farag, El Tayeb continues to prove nothing will stop her from soaring high. Even after giving birth in 2021, she went straight back to the courts, balancing both roles with major success.
Al Ahly Soccer Club
Originally founded in 1907 as a place of leisure and exercise for high school students, Al Ahly SC soon grew to be the now-famous football club while building Egypt’s first stadium in 1909. After assembling its first 5-member football team in 1911, the club went on to play in national football tournaments across Egyptian governorates with hopes to turn the sport into a mainstream passion for Egyptians. And after 112 years, the club is recognized as Africa’s leading football club and has won 24 international titles and cups.
Each of these featured artists and athletes has challenged themselves in one way or another, and found that it is the proven way to get ahead in their field. It is truly rewarding when you set the bar higher for yourself and succeed, rather than only surpass those around you.
As we can see, Etisalat by e& adopted a simple yet widely effective philosophy to succeed: always challenge yourself first; that’s how you succeed and get ahead in the game. And that’s an ever-green reminder we can all follow.