Snap Inc. and Almarai, in partnership with Starcom KSA, successfully brought Harat ALYOUM to life, a Ramadan activation that redefined how brands showed up across both physical and digital environments. In a first-of-its-kind global execution, Almarai and Snap partnered to connect Promoted Places with an immersive augmented reality experience on the Snap Map across key public locations, unlocking a new way for location-based discovery and AR to work together. As a leading FMCG brand, Almarai and Snap partnered to pioneer a new way for brands to engage communities at scale.
Rooted in the cultural insight of reconnecting people with the spirit of the neighborhood during Ramadan, Harat ALYOUM reimagined how digital platforms can bring communities closer together. Rather than existing only in high-traffic cultural hubs, the activation brought the neighborhood to life within people’s actual neighborhoods, making it feel present wherever Snapchatters were. The campaign transformed everyday locations across Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam into gateways to a fictional neighborhood centered around family, generosity, and togetherness, bringing the warmth and familiarity of traditional neighborhoods back into modern, digital discovery experiences. Driving a reach of over 15 million people across the Kingdom, the campaign showcased the scale of engagement that can be achieved by blending location-based discovery with culturally relevant storytelling.
With a custom 3D neighborhood icon and an innovative AR integration, Harat ALYOUM connected Snap Map to a dedicated AR Lens, bridging real-world discovery with an immersive digital experience. Snapchatters could tap into the neighborhood from high-traffic cultural hubs including KAFD, Diriyah, the Corniche district, and major mall destinations, as well as the places they visit every day, transitioning seamlessly from map exploration into an interactive AR environment inspired by Ramadan traditions. Within this experience, users could rediscover the essence of neighborhood living, explore Harat ALYOUM, discover Ramadan-inspired recipes, and engage with beloved traditions. The activation delivered more than 207.9 million impressions and attracted over 9 million visitors into the virtual Harat, while also driving strong engagement with an open rate 73% higher than global benchmarks.
Beyond discovery, the activation drove strong engagement, with playtime within the AR environment reaching 1.7x higher than benchmarks, highlighting the effectiveness of immersive formats in holding audience attention.
The campaign was further amplified through a weekly Harat ALYOUM content series, with the first episode surpassing 1.5 million views shortly after its release. Supported by a full-funnel media approach, including Promoted Places, AR Lens, Commercials, Chat Ads, and Snap Ads, the initiative sets a new benchmark for how brands can combine innovation, cultural insight, and platform-native behavior to drive real impact during key moments like Ramadan.
