A young refugee makes Syrian food for her Canadian classmates in heartwarming Whirlpool ad
In Whirlpool Canada’s latest ad, a young Syrian refugee named Sama takes it upon herself to introduce her Canadian classmates to some of her homeland’s signature dishes.
In the ad, nine-year-old Sama and her mother are seen cooking things like grape leaves and fatayers in their kitchen so she can take them to school and let her friends try them out. While Sama expresses concerns over whether or not her classmates will like the food - during an interview, she states that they might think it “looks weird” - she’s nevertheless excited to share her culture with them since her country’s food is one of the things she misses most about Syria.
After she shares the food with her classmates, they present her with a customized lunchbox that’s adorned with illustrations by artist Wes Tyrell as a token of thanks.
“At Whirlpool, we believe it’s the little things that make the world of difference,” said Michelle Domet, senior brand manager at Whirlpool Canada, in a statement. “School lunches are something we do day-in and day-out and Sama’s experience shows how it’s not just nutrients and fuel for the day that lunch provides, but emotional comfort as well. It’s amazing to see how open children can be and how food can bring people together.”
Created by Zulu Alpha Kilo and directed by Katie Dellamaggiore, the short film is part of Whirlpool’s ongoing ‘Every Day, Care’ campaign that launched in 2014. Since its launch, the effort has primarily focused on illustrating how household tasks and chores can bring families and loved ones closer together.
In the US, one of the biggest executions of ‘Every Day, Care’ to date has been the brand’s ‘Care Counts’ program, which provides schools across the country with washers and dryers to make it easier for students to clean their clothes. The program is based off of research that found that students who don’t have access to clean clothing are more likely to skip school.
