Ramadan kicks off today, and two large food delivery brands in the region—Grab and Gojek—have launched campaigns to mark the season.
Grab's campaign is a mashup parody of sci-fi classics—including elements from Star Wars and Star Trek. Four crew members find their spaceship being ransacked by a warped (but oddly cute) version of Darth Vader who steals their food supply.
The crew members find themselves in a panic when iftar approaches and their fridges are empty. You guessed it—Grab saves the day with a food delivery... to space. At a discount, of course. The ending of the film suggests a sequel, so perhaps another film might emerge in time for Eid? The video has amassed under one million views at time of print with many on social media commending the brand's humorous and unusual take on Ramadan marketing.
Gojek too went down the slightly zany route with a film that unassumingly begins like most Ramadan ads—with sentiment and nostalgia. Upon receiving thoughtful gifts from their family and friends, each character featured in the film bursts into cartoon-like tears that ricochet off the walls and cause dramatic effect. A necessary touch in what would otherwise be a pretty standard film.