Halal Ads Hit French TV — And France Eats Them Up

Even though people have to fast during the day, Muslims tend to eat more — and better — when they can eat during Ramadan, which is why it is traditionally a period of peak consumer activity.

A pack of shoppers swarm supermarket shelves, cheerfully snapping up packages of prepared lasagna, ravioli, and paella as they sing the products' praises. Sounds just like a normal evening TV ad. And it is, only this one features ethnic Arab actors in a commercial for halal food in France. A first in its own right, that ad is already a remarkable sight on French TV. But even more surprising is the reaction it's gotten — or, rather, hasn't gotten. In a country that's usually quick to burst into outrage over the spread of Islam into secular society, these halal food ads have been playing without a peep from the public.

French Muslims currently purchase around $5.7 billion worth of specialized foodstuffs and related products — a market that's been increasing by around 15% annually for nearly a decade. Solis has also found that nearly 94% of all Muslims in France with North African roots — by far the largest group of Muslims in the country — buy exclusively halal food. A recent poll by the Ifop agency found that 70% of Muslims in France are observing Ramadan this year — leaving little doubt as to the thinking behind the timing of Zakia Halal's ground-breaking ad campaign.