2024 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

KitKat has long been synonymous with the “break” and its various meanings and interpretations within culture. From the water-cooler break at the office to the serendipitously unplanned break. But one break that hasn’t been celebrated enough by brands, is the break that happens every evening during the holy month of Ramadan: breaking your fast.

Canada is home to diasporas of culture and religion, and yet national holidays and celebrations remain entirely denominational of the Christian faith. There are almost 2 million Muslims residing in Canada who, year after year, are ignored by big brands who concentrate ideas and marketing spend on holidays like Christmas and Easter. So to honour the important holiday of Ramadan in Canada, they created the
KitKat “Iftar Bar.”

The month of Ramadan is a time of spiritual discipline, generosity, and reflection. But it’s also a time of celebration and joy. The meal that happens at sundown every day of the month is called Iftar. It’s a time to gather with loved ones and crowd around the table for big meals. As a beloved and iconic brand, KitKat had the power to bring cultural awareness to this important holiday.

Unlike the regular four-piece KitKat, the “Iftar Bar” is 30 pieces-long, designed to be enjoyed piece-by-piece each evening during Iftar. The “Iftar Bar” is divided into three parts, parallelling the three stages of Ramadan called Ashras. The packaging features a tile pattern inspired by the iconic geometric patterns found commonly in Islamic architecture. A calendar detail is included under the physical bar to keep track of how far along people are in their fast, with each day revealed one-by-one as each piece is broken-off.

The “Iftar Bar” also features iconography of the 30 phases of the moon inspired by the Islamic lunar calendar, showcased on the packaging sleeve as cutout moon phases that animate when the inner box is pulled out.

Community involvement was an integral part of launching the “Iftar Bar”. To get the Iftar Bars into the hands of those from the Muslim community, KitKat partnered with content creators to host giveaways to their communities on Instagram.

Despite no paid media or press release, the KitKat “Iftar Bar” went viral, with over 2 million impressions after only seven days and generated overwhelmingly positive responses. Muslims celebrating Ramadan all over the world were sharing their Ramadan traditions with KitKat, with influencers on social media, and engaging in conversation about what the holy month of Ramadan meant to them.

They saw engaged audiences talking about how they were appreciative of the initiative and how they finally felt seen by a brand, commending KitKat on a thoughtful approach to celebrating the holy month, and voicing that this was an initiative that truly reflected an understanding of their community and traditions, with calls to make the “Iftar Bar” available world-wide.

Credits

Chief Creative Officer: Aaron Starkman, Mike Dubrick
Chief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald
Executive Creative Director: Mike Dubrick, Leia Rogers, Morgan Tierney
Creative Director: Skye Deluz, Jacquelyn Parent, Hans Thiessen, Sean O'Connor
Art Director: Liana Mascagni, Mustaali Raj, Skye Deluz
Writer: Jacquelyn Parent
Designer: Mustaali Raj, Liana Mascagni
Associate Director of Integrated Production: Kate A. Spencer
Senior Print Producer: Agnes Gilchrist
Group Strategy Director: Shereen Ladha
Strategic Planner: Jayne Stymiest
Group Account Director: Shar Khursigara
Account Supervisor: Devin Bonin
Account Manager: Dharmisha Mistry
Public Relations Account Director: Sara Lemmermeyer
Public Relations Manager: Chenda McKissick
Public Relations Coordinator: Claire Tam
Production Company: Westside Studio
Photographer: Ryan Szulc
Producer: Meghan Buckley
Stylist: Christina Yang
Photographer: Doaa Jamal
Post Production Company: R+D Productions
Editor: Alijah Monckton, Thomas McKeen

Clients:
SVP, Head of Marketing: Tracey Cooke
Marketing Leader, Everyday Confectionery: Riona Coller
Senior Marketing Manager, KitKat: Aseem Gulati
Marketing Manager, KitKat: Rachel Choi