Zain Group, the Kuwaiti owned telecommunications company with a presence in most countries in the Middle East; Zain Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Sudan, Saudi Arabic, Jordan and known as Touch in Lebanon have just released their 2018 Ramadan video campaign. 

This ad features impersonations of many current global leaders such as Donald Trump, the President of the United States, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany and Kim Jong-un, leader of North Korea.

The prominent presence of Palestine in the week when the U.S moved their embassy to Jerusalem is particularly poignant.

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The advertisement is ‘Zain’s message to the world’

‘Our voices have been silenced’

‘For making a declaration’ 

‘Every time I close my eyes I hear the bombing’

‘And church bells toil’

‘Our Iftar will be Jerusalem’

‘The Capital of Palestine’

‘As written in God’s prayer all the time’

Zain, who’s tagline has been, The Wonderful World of Zain, has various global creative agencies in the region from J. Walter Thompson to Oglivy, and who’s media is bought by WPP’s Mindshare, have, in recent years sought to deliver a message with their Ramadan Campaigns. Often delivered via a song, 2017’s campaign left some criticism. This campaign was produce by Joy Communications. 

It remains to be seen how this campaign will be received, however, it’s as close a brand advertisement has come to capturing the cultural zeitgeist in the region since Nike’s Hijab campaign and will sure to be the point of much debate. 

In a week where we saw the Arab Youth Survey provided insight into the young people of a region where close to 70% are under 30 years of age, this 3 minute video captures that data through creativity.

Amen, Amen, Amen