Honoring Ramadan Through Inspirational Ads And Community Programs

October 27, 2006 edition

Throughout the Muslim world, nearly 1.4 billion people celebrate the holy month of Ramadan by fasting between sunrise and sunset, praying and strengthening ties with family and friends. Each year, our Company honors Ramadan through a series of marketing activations, citizenship programs and internal initiatives focused on charity, generosity, unity and tolerance.

In a globalizing world, Ramadan presents an opportunity to showcase the true values of Islam and what it stands for. Because no other brand is as inclusive as and no other company is as diverse as Coca-Cola, we have a unique opportunity to play a valued role as an international bridge-builder and facilitator of dialogue during Ramadan.

Based on the lunar calendar, Ramadan started this year on Sept. 23 and ended last weekend with the festival of Eid el Fitr.

Our Ramadan-themed marketing programs continue to resonate with Muslim consumers. Building on the success of the 2004 "One Promise" TV commercial -- which followed a female narrator across three continents as she sew conflicts arise and, eventually, resolved in the spirit of peace and goodwill -- the Middle East Region launched a new ad in 12 countries based on the concept of sharing food during Iftar (the first meal Muslims eat to break their daily fast after sunset). The 2004 ad reached close to half a billion viewers in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Malawi, Madagascar, Malaysia and China.

The region supported the commercial with its first-ever Ramadan under-the-cap promotion, which gave consumers the chance to win a free Coke® and enjoy their favorite beverage during Iftar.

Company divisions representing Muslim countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa also collaborated with government ministries and non-government organizations (NGOs) to launch charity programs. These community efforts were not limited to financial donations; employee-driven initiatives were designed to tackle relevant, societal issues with the right strategic partners.

For example, the Nigeria and Equatorial Africa Division delivered food, prayer calendars and Coca-Cola products valued at $50,000 to needy Muslim families throughout Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Gambia. In Morocco, the Community Charity Campaign offered free meals to orphanages and hospitals in urban and rural areas through a network of NGOs, employees and community members. In Egypt, the Company placed 800 decorative charity bottles in businesses and Company offices. All proceeds were matched by our Company and donated to Abu Rish Children’s Hospital.

In Malaysia, the Company invited children from three orphanages to break the fast at the Kuala Lumpur Tower. In Indonesia, orphans joined Company employees in West Java for an Iftar meal. Both countries also donated products to mosques, schools and police and fire stations.

In addition to the focus on Ramadan and Eid, the Coca-Cola system has also implemented policies and programs to meet the needs of Muslim employees, such as providing halal food in cafeterias and organizing special prayer rooms at Company facilities. Several bottlers have also funded employee pilgrimage initiatives.