The Ramadan Campaigns That Made Us Feel Something

Every Ramadan, stc Bahrain does something that stops the entire region at mid-scroll.

stc Bahrain is no newcomer when it comes to launching meaningful campaigns, but they cracked a code most brands don't even know exists: how to go viral and build trust at the same time.

Two years ago, they launched the Ana Laha campaign, which was a daily social experiment program that aired after Maghreb prayer on Bahrain TV and across digital channels.

The series, produced in collaboration with Bahraini content creator Omar Farooq and a predominantly local production team, working alongside the Ministry of Information, centered on daily situations that could happen to anyone. We watched the struggles of people with disabilities, children, women, in addition to the elderly, workers, and others, and saw the greatness in people within society who lent a hand to help those in need. It displayed topics that make marketing teams nervous and that most brands avoid.

The result? Over 200 million views. 850,000 comments. 550,000 shares.

But the biggest impact? Stc Bahrain transformed from a telecom provider into a trusted institution that the people see as genuinely caring about their communities, not just their wallets.

Stc also brought back the Our Neighbor initiative for its second year, where they ask their own employees to nominate families in need within their communities. Our Neighbor operated on the same principle but at a different scale. This is the campaign no brand talks about because there's no viral payoff. Without cameras or viral moments, community is a core value, and they show up in their own neighborhoods to provide essential resources and support. What you get is just trust earned one family at a time.

Here's what stc Bahrain understood that many brands in the MENA region don't: Ramadan isn't a marketing season. It's a spiritual and cultural reset when we're called to see each other more clearly and care more deeply. So while other brands talk about these values while pushing sales, stc Bahrain decided to showcase compassion at scale and live it privately.

145 million views didn't come from ad spend. stc Bahrain built a reputation engine by documenting compassion and practicing it in private. That's the strategy many brands miss.

So the big takeaway? The brands that truly stand out show they care because you can feel it, see it, and hear it.

What's a campaign in your market that felt genuinely authentic? I'd love to hear what stopped you mid-scroll.