Sated and drained, many Egyptians are hardly fit to do much more than lounge in front of the television after a long day of fasting in Ramadan — a fact only exacerbated by the ever-growing number of mosalsalat (TV series) saved all year to air in Ramadan. That is where advertisers swoop in. Knowing that viewers’ eyes will be glued to their screens, they pull out all the stops, creating sometimes the most emotive, other times the funniest advertisement they can muster. Ironically, the past few years have seen companies create ads so full of comedic flair, that some viewers fail to even remember what product was being sold. Nevertheless, creatives in the advertising industry have been known to show their skill in Ramadan like no other time of year. Despite a growing audience switching to online streaming services such as Netflix and WatchIt for their mosalsalat – specifically to avoid the lengthy commercial breaks – they still fondly remember the ads about everything from sweets to banks, and the laughs they gave them. The jury may still be out on whether this year will see as colourful a lineup…
