TURNING THE TABLE: MUSTAALI RAJ
A LOOK AT AMAZING WORK BY OUR PHOTOGRAPHY & ILLUSTRATION AWARDS JUDGES
May 3, 2023
Vancouver-based Art Director, Designer & Visual Artist Mustaali Raj, was one of our 2023 Photography & Illustration Awards competition judges; not only that—his work was also selected as a winner in the 2023 Applied Arts Illustration Award competition. Congrats Mustaali!
We reached out to him to share one of his favourite campaigns he worked on recently.
KitKat is all about the break. Long breaks, short breaks, all kinds of breaks. But there’s one break we haven’t celebrated enough with Canadians – breaking your fast at sundown during Ramadan. This break is called Iftar. A special moment that deserves a special KitKat. In partnership with KitKat Canada, Mustaali collaborated with Rethink to create a limited-run bar to enjoy as part of Iftar.
What were some unique features of the packaging?
Working alongside Liana Mascagni at Rethink, we designed a KitKat bar that has 30 pieces for 30 days of the Ramadan. The design features a minimal tile pattern inspired by iconic geometry often found in Islamic architecture, a calendar to keep track of how far along people are in their fast, and a lunar die cut on the side of the box that is revealed as it slides open.
Can you give us some "peeks" behind-the-scenes?
Key members of the creative and strategy team are members of the Muslim community, and as a team we relied on their experiences, perspectives and voices to help make sure this idea felt authentic for the brand, the community and the occasion. We also made sure to utilize peer review at multiple points throughout the process to make sure the campaign felt authentic to a wide representation of the Muslim community. Working with KitKat Canada, we partnered with Muslim content creators to trial these new 30-piece bars, available only through limited giveaways. The small-run Bar is the brand’s first foray to celebrate the Iftar break with Canadians.
Why is this particular project a fave?
It brings representation to an occasion and community that is often overlooked in North America. The overwhelming response from the Muslim community globally has been quite heartfelt and emotional. It acts as a reminder that our strength as Canadians actually lies in our diversity, something that needs to be cherished and celebrated more often.
A sweet reminder of our beautiful country's diversity! Thank you for sharing this important work, Mustaali!
