No matter their caste, creed, race, color, political inclination, or socioeconomic background, all Pakistanis can and do love one thing: food! Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha, the nation's two largest Islamic holidays, are also centered around food and present a gastronomic opportunity for marketers.

Our advertisers have made a welcome shift over the past few decades to the deeper meaning of "sacrifice" as we speed toward another Eid-ul-Azha, amid roaming animals, meaningful conversations about their prices, the economy, and the weather, while simultaneously canvassing and enticing butchers and dreaming of fragrant gatherings on Eid day.

The catch is that most of these ideas are developed and presented during Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr, leaving no room for reappropriation for Eid-ul-Azha. This is true even though the social awareness raised during Ramadan has significance for Eid-ul-Azha as well, but it lacks stage time because all of those advertisements explicitly refer to "roza," "iftar," and "Eid-ul-Fitr."

This is a suggestion for all advertisers: you can easily re-edit your Ramzan advertisements for Eid-ul-Azha, and they will look great!

Although Shan, who has been a recurring viral favorite in recent years, has occasionally run ad campaigns that emphasize equity and cooking as a family activity rather than just for women, one longs for their "tentpole" moments—the lengthy, high-budget, dramatic commercials that evoked wonder and even mild mockery for their sulky tone—but they have always succeeded in their main goal of making the brand a household name. Consider the famous advertisement from years ago that showed two foreign brothers interacting with their mother, who was supposedly residing in Pakistan.

Imagine preparing an Eid dinner while crying uncontrollably. Or the one where a Chinese immigrant to Pakistan uses biryani to communicate with her neighbors? Shan was able to capture our interest with these advertisements for all the right (and bad) reasons.



Shan's "doctor bahu" (doctor daughter-in-law) advertisement caught the attention of viewers a few years ago as well. A nosy parker asks the matriarch of the family how her daughter-in-law was doing in the kitchen during an overly traditional Eid lunch. Cutting her down to size, the mother-in-law explains the value of a doctor's career and reveals that everyone in the family, even her son, gasp!, helped out in the kitchen. A wonderful homage to working women that seamlessly integrates Shan's USP of making cooking simple for everyone—not just wives.

Sadly, Shan has been amiss lately!

In keeping with the medical theme, KFC's Ramadan campaign, "Iftar ki baithak," highlighted two concepts at once: the unwavering schedule of medical personnel and the inclusion of all people in celebrations, regardless of their social standing. The way people from lower socioeconomic classes are portrayed in these advertisements, though, is a little embarrassing; they are all grins and artificially happy, and they behave as though they have never seen food before. Maybe it's just me, but after seeing the advertisement, you may make your own judgments:



Sapphire's "Eid II" ad for Eid-ul-Azha contains a calming melody and striking images, yet it has little to do with Eid itself. Any festival might have used it without the "Eid II" name.




But I'll save the finest for last. You see, knives in particular are in high demand during Eid-ul-Azha! Additionally, a nearby convenience store promoted its knives in a very appealing way. The commercial has a captivating soundtrack, striking visuals, and a catchy melody. It's also amusing because knives are promoted as useful instruments for "qasais" (butchers), "bhais" (gangsters), and "tais" (paternal aunts), all of whom butcher not just flesh but also, uh, other living creatures and relationships.

Unfortunately, there are no marketing specifically for Eid-ul-Azha; the main theme of sacrifice has already been extensively covered in Ramadan/Eid-ul-Fitr advertising, and pictures of killed animals do not make for compelling imagery.

Special discounts on textiles, condiments, manufacturers of food storage and cooking equipment, and, ironically, fast food restaurants offering a substitute for the heavy, meaty Eid feast are the only OOH items that have any connection to Eid-ul-Azha.

Overall, it appears that we use all of our imagination, social consciousness, and consideration in our Ramadan/Eid-ul-Fitr campaigns, leaving nothing left over for Eid-ul-Azha.