Go ahead and skip the ad breaks: It’s that time of year where video advertisements haunt our dreams and force us to reckon with our binge-watching habits. Whether we like it or not, ads have become a staple of Ramadan in Egypt and an unavoidable menace if you’ve been on the internet at any point in the past two weeks.

But wait: We kinda love (some) Ramadan ads, too. Holy month ads are admittedly a little different than your run of the mill fare. Many of the country’s best creative minds are enlisted to create intricate (and expensive) productions that have, on occasion, had the power to move us. Here’s this year’s roundup of the ads that stuck out to us the most.

Etisalat is all about love at first sight: Ahmed Ezz and Lebanese actress Carmen Bsaibes play an assortment of characters who keep on meeting and falling in love at first sight in this year’s ad from our friends at Etisalat. Their pairing is inevitable — they are drawn together, no matter how different each of their lives might have played out, kind of like a reverse Sliding Doors (watch, runtime: 1:51).

Orange has come out with an impressive, theatrical celebration of springtime Ramadan this year: Firm faves Mona Zaki, Dina El Sherbini, and Nelly Karim come together for Orange’s cheerful 2022 campaign. Shot largely outdoors — and featuring scores of colorful decorations and intricate flower arrangements — the ad has the trio sing and dance along with a huge cast of performers. The vibe is wholesome and feels reminiscent of 1950s musicals (watch, runtime: 2:02).

Yasmine Abdel Aziz and Karim Abdel Aziz star in Telecom Egypt’s (WE) colorful generational battle about the changing nature of Ramadan. The actors each play a series of characters that depict the diversity of ways people celebrate Ramadan across generations, with WhatsApp messages replacing phone calls and Lotus qatayef edging out homemade kunafa. The message: Whatever age you are and however you celebrate Ramadan, it should be joyful. A cute concept, with one caveat: The jingle is incredibly annoying — second only to Vodafone’s ad for how frequently it has terrorized us as we scroll YouTube in recent weeks. (Watch, runtime 2:35)

Vodafone’s ad follows the ups and downs of a young couple’s relationship, to the soundtrack of new Hadaba original Elly Bena Hayah. The spot features scenes filmed by the beach, on nights out in Cairo, and long video calls and WhatsApp messages between the young sweethearts. The ad is a sweet albeit scary depiction of how deeply communication services are embedded in the most intimate aspects of our lives. It's a technological feat or dystopian reality, depending on how you look at it (watch, runtime 2:00).

El Esseily and Ruby team up for home appliance company Fresh’s elaborately produced jingle, which seems to suggest that a) not having Fresh home appliances is a dealbreaker for marriage or b) their affection for one another is only matched by their love for white goods (watch, runtime: 1:47).

Banque Misr’s 2022 Ramadan campaign builds on its long-running theme of hope and resilience with an ad that refreshingly features the faces of ordinary people as they go about their daily lives. Sherine Abdel Wahab sings “Ya Maafer” as she jogs across Kobry Tahya Masr, encouraging perseverance and strength in the face of adversity (watch, runtime 1:59).

Amr Diab makes yet another appearance for Egypt Post this year, taking us on a journey across Cairo as he awkwardly runs solo through Al-Azhar tunnel, Wadi Degla, and the Salaheldin Citadel. Much like Banque Misr, Egypt Post’s message is also one of persistence and determination. Our only question is why Amr Diab remains such a persistent and determined presence in our ad scene, having already been the face of a campaign for almost every major company under the sun (watch, runtime 1:57).