Ramadan, the holy month of fasting during the daily hours, started on the 24th of April. It is a month where food companies must abstain from showing food in their ads to avoid temptation during fasting. Despite this, McDonald’s Saudi Arabia and its agency of record Leo Burnett have managed to overcome this challlenge and created a novel new way to advertise its products without being disrespectful to the Muslim faith.
The creative team at Leo Burnett came up with the McDonald's 'Iftar Sand Clock', an hourglass that counts down when meals are available again, by showing the exact time its most famous products become visible, therefore, are able to be purchased and break the fast.
Turning outdoor McDonald’s Drive-Thru screens into Ramadan Iftar Sand Clocks, falling grains of sand slowly reveal the precise time customers can break their fast. Taking 12 hours for the sand to fall – exactly the period of fasting – the grains of sand come together to form a McDonald’s meal. When the meal is complete, customers are free to order and enjoy it… just in time for Iftar!
The 'Iftar Sand Clock' camapign is also running on McDonald’s social media stories, with special promocodes that are only revealed once the sand completely falls. By doing this, it supports their McDelivery operation to increase sales for a quarantined nation.
