CAIRO: For Muslims across the country, the holy month of Ramadan is a time of fasting and faith. For advertisers, it is prime time for cash as an audience of more than 70 million breaks the fast in front of TV sets. This audience is also ready to spend money on food products. Known to be a month when consumption rates accelerate, Ramadan is usually marked by grand feasts and social gatherings. And this is why packaged ghee, cooking oils, cheese, milk, and yoghurt have become traditional Ramadan commercials. "Due to its unwinding nature, Ramadan is a high season for TV serials and logically commercials, said Ahmed Zayane, head of audiovisual department at Al-Ahram Advertising Agency. Due to the mounting viewership, companies rush to showcase their products on television, while advertisers save their most creative ideas for Ramadan. Companies also tend to announce special offers during the holy month, as part of the season's greetings. This Ramadan, Etisalat Egypt and MobiNil, in particular, have been offering free minutes and cheaper tariffs. "This Ramadan, quality of television commercials is much higher than last year's because around three-quarters are produced by giant companies that can spend well on their ads, Zayane explained. "Small advertisers have disappeared this season. One ad shows monsters, animals and fiction characters walking the streets of Downtown Cairo. Others feature an array of high paid film and TV stars. Competition is always fierce between Egyptian Terrestrial TV and satellite stations in terms of attracting more advertisers. Commercials balance this Ramadan, Zayane said, has slanted in favor of satellite stations due to better quality programs and serials as well as cheaper commercial prices. "This is only natural. Compare how much time you spend watching Egyptian terrestrial TV with how much time you spend watching satellite channels, he pointed out. To produce a 30-second ad spot, it costs between LE 20,000 and LE 3-4 million, depending on the use of graphics, music, extras, and superstars, as well as on the quality of editing. During normal viewing seasons, a commercial costs some LE 15,000 to air in a 30-second slot on Egyptian terrestrial TV, and less than LE 6,000 on Egyptian privately-owned stations. "However, Ramadan is a different story, Zayane stated. This season, a 30-second slot of state-owned air time costs LE 30,490 from after iftar until midnight - the most expensive time slots of the day. "Time slots on Egyptian privately-owned stations do not cost more than LE 6,000 by all means, and that is mainly why they attract more advertisers. Indeed, TV commercials are a vital Ramadan staple, as between 40-50 percent of state television's income is generated from commercials aired during Ramadan and around 35-40 percent of Egyptian privately-owned stations'. "During normal viewing seasons, the basic rule is that one TV serial carries three commercial breaks, three minutes each, Zayane said. "However, in Ramadan, rules are broken because everyone wants to make more money. This Ramadan, the satellite stations that have so far won the biggest share of commercials are ART Hekayat, MBC, Dubai, and LBC, followed by privately-owned Egyptian stations (Dream TV and El-Mehwar). Stars that have pulled the lion's share of commercials this season with their popular TV serials are Youssra, Yehia El-Fakharani, Nour El Sherif, Gamal Soliman, and Khaled Saleh.
