In the UAE, this spirit of sharing during Ramadan has been exemplified by the ‘Ramadan Fridge.’ Every year, people across the UAE place a fridge outside their homes. Fully stocked with food and water, those in the community who are less fortunate are invited to help themselves to what they need as they break their fast.

‘Ramadan Fridges’ have quickly become a tradition across the UAE, and have started to spread throughout the GCC. But for Etihad, this was only the beginning. Etihad wanted to share this spirit of giving with the world.

And so, the ‘Etihad Ramadan Fridge’ was born. A UAE tradition was about to go global. And through this small act of kindness, they hoped to change the lives of people in three communities for the better.

The idea was simple enough. Throughout Ramadan, Etihad would provide Ramadan Fridges to communities in need around the globe.

Using Etihad’s global catering network, a unique logistics chain was developed in three countries to deliver hot meals and drinks every day. On the ground, each team was led by members of the Etihad Cabin Crew who also acted as brand ambassadors in each community – and ensured the fridges stayed stocked.

Each fridge was designed in collaboration with local artists and suppliers, ensuring they represented the traditions of the communities they would be placed in.

Ultimately, the stories of each community that hosted the fridges was be chronicled in weekly, documentary-style episodes on Etihad’s social media channels. By shining a light on communities less fortunate, Etihad intended to stand apart from other UAE brands during Ramadan, with an activation that not only felt real, but was real.

We carefully examined Etihad’s global network, then studied the various communities within it. Then we made local connections within those communities to get a better understanding of the challenges they face - be it socio-economic or otherwise - during Ramadan. After a thorough selection process, the following communities were chosen:

1. The Faizan E Nooriya Orphanage in northern Mumbai, India

2. The neighbourhood of Korangi in eastern Karachi, Pakistan

3. The village of Pondok Terong outside Jakarta, Indonesia

In these communities we didn’t just find people in need of help. We found people who were willing to give everything to others – even when they had little to give themselves. The spirit of sharing was in their hearts. The aim became to enhance that spirit. And through the Etihad Ramadan Fridge, we hoped to start a chain reaction that would ripple through those communities and beyond.

The campaign presented many logistical challenges. Each community was in a difficult-to-access area with limited infrastructure. This made making deliveries problematic. However, these challenges were overcome through passion and determination.

Every Etihad Ramadan Fridge was welcomed by the communities, with many actively helping to prepare the dining locations for Iftar.

Around three to four hundred meals were consumed daily in each community. Etihad also found that the more affluent in the community were eager to help keep the fridges stocked, and joined in with the fast-breaking celebrations.

In terms of the production of the final social media content, an agile and highly capable production team was able to capture a cinematic perspective of the campaign, while keeping a light footprint on the ground. An episode dedicated to each community was produced, telling their story in their words, and showcasing their positivity in the face of adversity.

Online, the campaign was incredibly well-received. All four episodes garnered a total of 13.9 million views, in addition to 33,000 shares and a 29% engagement rate. But perhaps the most enduring legacy of the Etihad Ramadan Fridge has been the widespread community spirit and lasting international support that it spurred.

In reaction to the campaign, people from around the world joined Etihad in helping these communities however they could. Inspired by the positivity and resilience showcased in each episode, people donated books, food, and even contributed towards repairing buildings and infrastructure in each community.

This was beyond the expectations Etihad has when the campaign first took shape, and eloquently proved that its efforts to bring the UAE’s spirit of sharing to the rest of the world was a complete and total success.