The month of Ramadan is a time when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, meet families and their communities, give to charity, remember the year gone by and resolve to be better as individuals.
This year, Ramadan across most parts of the world began on Friday, April 24. But it’s going to be an unprecedented Ramadan due to COVID-19 crisis. Families won’t be able to get together, people are unwell and anxious, doors previously open are closed and cities previously bustling with Ramadan markets and gatherings are locked down. An environment of pessimism lingers in a month that has always been one full with optimism and celebration.
Babyshop is a leading children’s retailer in the Middle East with a growing presence in Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, China and India). It’s actively advocating its purpose – one that’s focused on making the world a better place for every child – in these unforeseen times. And using Ramadan as the stage, with its agency FP7 McCann in Dubai, Babyshop is sending out a message of optimism to the world. Through the eyes and the words of children from around the world, the brand has launched a film and a song. And it has also implemented a series of acts to take care of those on the frontlines and their families. Key news platforms and influencers in the Middle East have partnered to support the idea throughout Ramadan.
The film itself taps into the virtues of remembrance and resolve that are intrinsic to Ramadan. Children from around the world were asked to share what they’ll remember from COVID-19. Their surprising and evocative answers have been combined with poignant photography and inspired an original song, and collectively, tell an unexpected Ramadan story. In a challenging economic environment, with production lockdowns in the Middle East, as an idea and as an execution, the film completely breaks away from the typical mold of Ramadan ads (mega production, celebrity endorsements, dances, people getting together, eating together, celebrating together, doing kind acts for others and the like).
In sharing the brand’s point of view that if we learn from what children will remember of COVID-19, we can help build a world we all deserve, Babyshop reminds people about the importance of seeing the good amidst all the bad around us, about remembering the ones who sacrifice for the rest, about acknowledging the positive changes in ourselves, and about valuing the things we should hold dear to; not just during COVID-19, but even when we get through this challenging phase.
The song that’s featured in the film is an original song composed and developed by artists from Dubai and Colorado.
