Pickl's first regional Ramadan campaign puts community at its heart
Pickl has launched its first regional Ramadan campaign, Pickl Giving, showcasing its commitment to local communities across the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Egypt. The month-long initiative is designed to foster engagement by inviting customers to share ideas on how the brand can give back, integrating public participation into its Ramadan activations.
'This was our first measured campaign across the region. Now that we have expanded into new markets across the Middle East, we've been given the opportunity to think across borders,' said Steve Flawith, Founder and CEO of Yolk Brands, the hospitality group behind Pickl. 'The objective was simple: to showcase that we are a homegrown brand from the region that genuinely cares about each and every community we sit in.'
The campaign builds on Pickl's broader #BeLocal mission, which has previously highlighted initiatives such as delivery rider appreciation and environmental cleanups. For Ramadan, Pickl is expanding this commitment with a platform that allows its customers to shape its giving efforts. Through 'The Art of Giving,' the brand is encouraging community members to propose ways it can support charitable and social causes, aiming to translate these ideas into direct action.
'This Ramadan, we wanted to take one of the key pillars of Islam – Zakat – to really delve into what Ramadan means to our community, what their favourite memories are and if it were distilled into one word, what would that really boil down to,' said Flawith.
Pickl Giving: A region-wide Ramadan campaign
To activate Pickl Giving across its markets, the brand is rolling out targeted initiatives specific to each country. In the UAE, efforts include iftar meals for delivery riders, food donations, and a desert cleanup. In Qatar, activities range from blood donation drives to community food initiatives. Bahrain's campaign focuses on food drives and traditional Ramadan gatherings, and in Egypt, Pickl is supporting orphanages through meal donations.
Pickl has also produced a Ramadan brand film, conceptualised and executed entirely in-house by Yolk Brands. The campaign video features notable regional figures, including Khalid Al Ameri, Hamad Al Hajri (CEO of Snoonu), and Reem Alzayani (Corporate Communications and ESG Director of Alzayani Investments), sharing personal reflections on the spirit of Ramadan and the power of giving.
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'This entire campaign was conceptualised by our team, filmed across four countries, and storyboarded, edited, and launched in-house. Working on something this soulful, in collaboration with our partners across the region, truly showcases our team's raw talent,' Flawith added. 'It proves that impactful, beautiful advertising that resonates comes from passion, vision, and drive – not just big budgets.'
A key element of the campaign is its interactive approach. Through PicklGiving.com, customers can submit ideas for how the brand should engage in giving back. The initiative reflects Pickl's strategy of fostering customer-driven brand engagement while aligning with the cultural significance of Ramadan.
'Our final take for the campaign centred around the art of giving, showcasing how we're giving back to communities while also offering a way for those who may not be able to contribute directly to submit their ideas,' Flawith explained. 'From there, we would turn their ideas into action and give back on their behalf.'
The campaign will be amplified across Pickl's digital channels, with ongoing updates and stories showcasing community participation.
Building long-term consumer connections
'Pickl Giving' marks the brand's most extensive community-focused activation to date, with a focus on building long-term relationships with its audience through shared social impact efforts. The campaign underscores how brands in the region are increasingly building consumer connections through Ramadan.
'While localised, geo-targeted campaigns remain a key part of our strategy, these big regional moments are where we're planting our flag for the long haul,' Flawith noted. 'To prove that a simple idea, fuelled by passion, is worth its weight in gold.'
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