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By Lydia Patrick
Life & Trends Reporter
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A McDonald’s advertising campaign in Germany in which digital billboards synced with the sun to reveal food only after dark during Ramadan has resurfaced online.
The Digital Out‑of‑Home (DOOH) posters from 2023 were programmed so that during daylight fasting hours they display McDonald’s packaging—such as the chain’s red-and-yellow fries container and a closed burger box—completely empty.
Once the sun sets, the same packaging “fills up” in real time, revealing fries and burgers at the exact moment Muslims break their daily fast.
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The campaign was created by the German agency Scholz & Friends, whose concept centers on removing McDonald’s most recognizable visual element—its food—as a gesture of respect for those observing Ramadan.
A spokesperson for McDonald's German told Newsweek: "The marketing campaign in question is not a current activation. In 2023, the motifs were displayed for one day at selected locations to mark the beginning of Ramadan. Similar initiatives have also been carried out in other McDonald’s markets. McDonald's and its franchisees actively promote a diverse and open society built on values such as tolerance, respect and togetherness. In our restaurants, nearly 67,000 employees from more than 160 nations come together and serve close to 2 million guests every day — all with different backgrounds, beliefs and life stories. This diversity is a source of great pride for us and, in our view, one of the reasons for our brand’s success. Treating every person with respect and openness is always at the heart of what we do."
In Germany, around 6 million Muslims celebrate the religious holiday each year.
The posters carried the message “Happy Ramadan,” and relied on sun‑synced data and local prayer times to switch from empty containers to full meals. The brand purposely timed the transformation to align with Iftar, the evening meal eaten after sunset.
Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Observers abstain from all food and drink throughout daylight hours, often surrounded by outdoor advertising that features tempting food imagery.
According to Invidis, McDonald’s aimed to avoid this by stripping back its visuals until nightfall, using DOOH technology to create what the agency describes as a more “considerate” and culturally sensitive form of advertising.
A post from the Threads account Ads With Benefits highlighted the campaign, writing that “McDonald’s removed all the food from its own digital billboards,” drawing more than 63,000 views.
"Simple, practical and effective way to adapt an advertisement to respect the local culture," one of the captions read.
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Industry analysts say the campaign fits into a broader shift toward context‑aware DOOH advertising that adapts to cultural moments in real time.
McDonald’s has also created culturally tailored Ramadan campaigns in other markets, including Indonesia’s 2025 Satu Rasa initiative and Malaysia’s Indahnya Ramadan campaign, both of which incorporated local customs and storytelling.
The Satu Rasa (One Heart, One Taste) campaign, followed two brothers spending their day apart, but reconnecting over a shared meal at sunset. The initiative also highlighted localized menu items such as Ayam McD Lengkuas, a fried chicken seasoned with galangal and served with traditional sambal.
In Malaysia, McDonald’s introduced the Indahnya Ramadan (The Beauty of Ramadan) campaign in 2025, capturing everyday moments from the fasting month—from the early‑morning rush of preparing Sahur, the early meal, to the relatable mistake of offering food to someone who is fasting—and reframing them as moments of gratitude.
Correction 02/26/26, 11:45 a.m. ET: This article was updated to reflect that the advertising campaign is not current, and was in effect in 2023.
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