While most Ramadan traditions transcend generations, the last two years of pandemic-induced lockdowns did disrupt large family gatherings during the holy month. This Ramadan, people are feeling fortunate to be back together, and Abdul Latif Jameel Motors (Toyota sector) wanted to celebrate this time of togetherness. 

Seeing families together for a big iftar is a common sight in the Middle East. This moment has been recreated by brands in emotional Ramadan ads year after year, but Serviceplan Experience wanted to capture the feeling of togetherness from a different perspective. The funny spot was directed by Omar El Zoheiry (Big Kahuna Films).

Serviceplan Experience’s creative concept behind the Abdul Latif Jameel Motors (Toyota sector) spot for Ramadan, was that a big family gathering inside means a lot of cars outside, usually parked chaotically. A familiar sight in the neighborhoods of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia (KSA) and across the region. If you’re the first one to arrive, you’re likely to find your car overparked by other family members.

This is where the narrative of the spot begins: the first family member leaving iftar finds their car stuck in a gridlock of their entire family’s cars. What follows is a wholesome comedy of events, as everyone moves their cars around to help. An imperfect yet genuine moment of togetherness that captures all the Ramadan feels.

Munir Khoja, Managing Director, Marketing Communication, Abdul Latif Jameel Motors (an authorized distributor of Toyota) explains: “Ramadan is a busy time for marketers. It’s important to stay authentic but easy to fall into a sea of sameness. We wanted to do something entertaining and relevant, without ignoring our products. And we believe we’ve achieved that. We hope people enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.”

Saleh El Ghatit, Creative Director of Serviceplan Experience adds, “I wanted to capture the true dynamics of a Saudi family in Ramadan, being half Saudi myself I felt the true dynamics aren’t represented as well as they could be. We tend to see cookie-cutter families in a lot of these Ramadan ads, and that was the first thing we needed to avoid. The truth is Ramadan can be funny, the moments we share are ones of joy, happiness, and a little bit of banter. The challenge for us was making it feel like a Ramadan ad while keeping it insightful as to why the ad coming from a car brand.”