The campaign's direct approach, especially through influencer engagement and interactive online content, created personal connections with the target audience, inviting them to partake in a cultural journey through the phases of the moon with Oreo.

This personalized engagement strategy not only educated but also encouraged direct participation, making the brand experience highly personal and interactive.

By driving consumers to a dedicated microsite for further engagement, the campaign facilitated direct interactions with the brand, embodying the essence of Direct marketing by fostering immediate and measurable consumer actions related to Ramadan and cultural education.

During the month of Ramadan 8 distinct moon phases can be observed, each part of the meaningful tradition of Moon Sighting.

Unlike the Gregorian calendar used in the West, which is solar-based, the Islamic calendar is lunar, meaning each month begins with the sighting of a new moon, making the moon phases crucial for determining the start and end of this holy month.

This signifies the beginning and the end of the season, and each phase is being observed by families, sharing the Ramadan values in the process.

Waxing Crescent - Togetherness (Beginning of Ramadan)

First Quarter - Self-control

Waxing Gibbous - Kindness

Full Moon - Gratitude

Wanning Gibbous - Renewal

Third Quarter - Self care

Wanning Crescent - Generosity

New Moon - Joy (Eid – end of Ramadan)

Every year Ramadan observers wait patiently for the “Moon Sighting” moment, marking the beginning of the new lunar month, which represents that starting date of Ramadan.

Yet, according to the latest youth studies, ONLY 3 IN 10 Arab youth understand the true meaning of this defining cultural tradition.

Recognizing this gap, Oreo saw an opportunity to transcend the seasonal category communications convention – bound between Ramadan recipes or promotional messages.

Instead, the brand aimed to authentically connect with the younger demographic, bridging the generational gap and reviving the essence of Ramadan traditions for newfound relevance in the eyes of the new generation.

Lunar Treats: The most playful way to learn about Ramadan.

For the first time ever, we turned cookies into teaching tools that could be used throughout the Holy month.

An entirely new media format caring a meaningful message that the youth would gladly engage with.

Our iconic biscuit format was the perfect fit for the job: The biscuit, dark as night, and the crème, white like the moon, formed a simple, yet playful way to speak about the moon phases and their cultural significance.

Our idea involved following the typical lunar pattern, starting with a crescent crème and gradually increasing it in each cookie within the pack. This mirrored the same sequence the moon follows during Ramadan, providing not just a tasty treat but a visually symbolic representation of the sacred lunar phases.

“78% of parents feel their children are not as connected to Ramadan as they were in their own childhood.”

So, our primary focus is on millennial parents, those who found themselves navigating the delicate balance between preserving cultural traditions and adapting to the evolving landscape of parenthood.

These parents shared a common concern: the observed disconnect between their children and the Ramadan experiences they cherished during their own childhoods.

These parents are all about getting creative and flexible to keep cultural lessons fresh and appealing. They're usually plugged in, social, and love brands that get their lifestyle. They're on the hunt for fun, engaging ways to bring cultural learning into their family life, without it feeling like a chore.

Oreo aimed to address this challenge, we wanted to help these parents pass on the essence of Ramadan, making it a both a fun and meaningful experience for the whole family.

We started by producing our special edition 8-pack of lunar treats right before the season.

We launched it through influencers who were also part of our target audience: young parents experiencing Ramadan with their kids.

Our efforts included engaging social media content that invited families to “Create playful desserts for every moon phase”. This catchy call-to-action directed them to a dedicated microsite crafted for the campaign. Here, families found unique Ramadan recipes tailored to each phase of the moon, designed for fun family cooking sessions. But it didn’t stop there; the site also featured interactive stories for each moon phase, weaving in the values of Ramadan, thereby enriching the experience.

As the campaign gained momentum, our audience started sharing their own dessert creations, using them as educational tools to teach their children about Ramadan.

And for the first-ever moon-shaped media, we achieved some beaming results.

- Over 42 million video views, driven by a surge in user-generated content.

- Engagement rates that exceeded industry benchmarks by eightfold.

- A 60% increase in brand appeal among the youth demographic.

- A 33% uplift in sales, affirming the campaign's resonance with consumers.