2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Background

“Moulid Al Nabi” is the celebration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad, which Muslims await each year for the special mystical atmosphere it holds. Particularly in Egypt, the celebrations are deeply rooted within the country’s history, going back a thousand years. That’s why El Abd, the leading traditional sweets maker, wanted to take a completely new approach to their Prophet’s birthday sweets box packaging design this year that reaches millions of Egyptian homes.

Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)

El Abd is the biggest name in the market of the Prophet’s birthday sweets. The brand describes itself as “Custodians of the Egyptian culture” in its mission statement. When approaching their new packaging design, we decided to create something different that celebrates a “Moulid Al Nabi” tradition. One of the most authentic forms of celebration is the conducting of what is known as “Halaqat Al Zikr” (or mystic circles), where poems and songs that praise and honor the Prophet are chanted in a rhythmic dance. The performance is led by a “Nucleus Chanter” together with “Supporting Chanters”, standing in a circle around him. We asked ourselves a question: Can we translate this authentic and spiritual experience into design?

Describe the execution (40% of vote)

“Halaqat Al Zikr” has a very particular spatial and musical structure that is exhibited by Sufi groups mystically swaying back and forth to the rhythmic beating of a drum. We visited the spaces where “Halaqat Al Zikr” are conducted, and watched, analyzed and recorded several performances. We collected a lot of footage and generated a heat map of the rhythmic dance to capture its mystical energy, which helped us discover geometric and rhythmic arrangements. We then chose 3 Sufi-inspired color palettes and a special design language was created on the tin boxes. We placed a letter inside the box that briefly explains the design idea, generating unprecedented engagement for the brand online and creating through design

List the results (20% of vote)

The packaging design helped shed light on a forgotten yet important sonic practice of “Moulid Al Nabi” that is not conventionally communicated through visuals. The letter placed inside the pack triggered an organic online conversation that generated unprecedented engagement on social platforms for the brand. But more importantly, the total number of boxes sold increased by 28% from 2018 to 2019.