Engine decision after this research (2026-09-28): Gemini Omni is the only video model. Where this report routes shots to Veo 3.1, the engine uses Omni with the rules on the main page.

04 · Tunisia visual culture: styles, formats and cultural codes for Tunisian ads

Research date: September 2026. Scope: what looks, sounds and converts as authentically Tunisian in 30-60 s vertical ads (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) for Lead Up clients: solar PV and alarm/camera installers first, then clinics, schools, restaurants, real estate, car dealers and e-commerce.

How to read this. Sections 1-6 are findings, each ending in → Engine rule lines. Section 7 is the style library: ready-to-use style cards for the AI engine. Section 8 is the cliché and "wrong country" blacklist, and section 9 lists Derja copy codes. Confidence tags: [S] = sourced (see URLs at the end), [F] = field knowledge or common practice that no source here confirms (check it with the owner or a local creative before relying on it).

Pipeline constraints (from the repo's CLAUDE.md): AI images and videos are text-free, all on-screen text lives in Remotion with thick black-outline captions, Omni is always 720p, and the WhatsApp copy stays under 16 MB. The guidance below respects these constraints.

0. TL;DR (the ten things that matter most)

1. Facebook is still the Tunisian public square, and TikTok is the fast-growing second screen. Facebook ad reach is 7.8 M (87 % of adults) and TikTok reaches 6.0 M adults, 58 % of them men. Instagram (4.05 M) skews female and younger. [S: DataReportal 2026] Design every ad for FB/IG Reels first, TikTok second, in a single 9:16 master.
2. Media is cheap and attention is scarce. Meta CPM runs about 3-8 DT and CPC about 0.15-0.45 DT. [S: visibility.tn] The spend goes a long way, so the constraint is the creative. The first 1-2 seconds and burned-in captions decide the result.
3. Derja is the default language of Tunisian advertising. About 90 % of advertisers use the dialect. French-language audiences collapsed after 2011 (French TV share went from about 25 % to 3 %). [S: IFPO] Speak Derja, write bilingual, and keep French for trade words, brand names and prices.
4. Ramadan works like the Super Bowl for Tunisian ads. It rewards humor + nostalgia + family + a remixed familiar song. [S: Prosdelacom, Managers, L'Écho] The winning grammar is warm, collective and self-mocking, not aspirational-luxury.
5. The music-parody formula is proven. All three telecom operators hit big with a re-written familiar melody: TT with Fatma Boussaha's mezwed classic, Ooredoo with a KTYBON parody, Orange with patrimoine + rap (Jenjoon). [S: L'Écho] Take the lesson (a familiar rhythm and a local feel) and not the copyrighted songs.
6. Tunisians are scam-aware, and solar has a documented scam problem. "Free panels", "zero bill forever" and fake urgency are all common. [S: VLD Solar] Trust comes from real faces, a real local address, a +216 number, WhatsApp, ANME/Prosol mentions, and honest numbers in DT.
7. Summer 2026 hurt: a record heatwave from July 11 brought load-shedding, and STEG blamed air conditioning at the 14:00-16:00 peak. STEG authorised home batteries with hybrid inverters on 24 July 2026. [S: pv magazine, African Manager] This gives solar and battery ads their strongest hook for the next 12 months.
8. The authentic look is the ordinary look. Show a Tunis-suburb flat roof with its water tank and dish, a tiled salon, a Sahel villa, a café capucin, a louage with its red stripe, jasmine and harissa. Sidi Bou Said blue-and-white is a postcard and should be used sparingly.
9. Wrong-country cues kill credibility at once. These include Moroccan zellige, riads and djellabas, Gulf thobes and ghutras, Egyptian galabeya, the Egyptian fanous as the Ramadan symbol, and MSA voice-over.
10. Law and platform rules are practical, not heavy. Don't use the national flag commercially without authorisation (Law 2001-36 and a Ministry warning). Avoid misleading claims: Law 92-117 carries fines of 1,000-20,000 DT and Law 98-40 requires advertisers to prove their claims. Don't disparage named competitors. Collect leads in line with Law 2004-63 (INPDP). On Meta, avoid "personal attribute" copy and before/after shots for clinics, and expect "AI info" labels to be triggered by C2PA metadata.

1. The Tunisian digital landscape 2025-2026

1.1 Key numbers (DataReportal, Digital 2026: Tunisia, data as of Oct 2025) [S]

Other sources (lower confidence, from agency blogs): about 92 % of access is via smartphone, the peak is 20:00-23:00 on weekdays with a secondary peak on Friday afternoon, the average time on Facebook is about 61 h/month vs TikTok about 54 h/month, Facebook organic reach is only 3-5 % while Reels do 4-6× better, and Derja content gets 40-60 % more engagement than French content. [S: web6.tn, digital-discovery.tn, La Presse]

1.2 Ad costs in Tunisia [S: visibility.tn 2025, Smart Target 2023, web6.tn]

The recommended creative length is 15-30 s, and about 85 % of users watch without sound. [S: visibility.tn] That figure is a global industry number repeated locally. Treat the audience as sound-off on Facebook feed and sound-on on TikTok and Reels.

1.3 → Engine rules (platform and delivery)

• Master format is 9:16, 720×1280, 30-45 s by default. Cut a 15-20 s version from every ad for Reels and TikTok hooks, and a 4:5 crop for the FB feed.
• The ad must work sound-off. Use burned-in Derja captions (already house style), and the key promise, price and CTA must be readable without audio. It must also work sound-on: the voice and a familiar-feeling beat are what carry TikTok.
• Keep files light. Bandwidth is fine (67 Mbps median), but many users are on prepaid data packs and ads get re-shared on WhatsApp. Keep the 16 MB WhatsApp copy rule, and there is no need for 1080p.
• Schedule for evenings. Launch or boost at 19:30-23:00 and on Friday afternoon. During Ramadan, target the after-iftar window (≈ 20:00-01:00) and the pre-suhoor scroll, and avoid the 17:00-iftar rush, when people are cooking and driving.
• Split by platform audience. Solar, alarms and cars (male-skewed decision makers) go FB + TikTok. Clinics, beauty, schools and restaurants add Instagram (female-skewed). Schools also go to FB mothers aged 30-50.
• Use Messenger / WhatsApp CTAs. Lead Up's funnel should end in a conversation, not a web form (see §4).

2. Tunisian advertising culture

2.1 Ramadan is the peak season [S]

• "Ramadan is the Super Bowl of advertising in Tunisia" (TBWA\PointCarré ops director). Campaigns are produced in 45-60 days, and Ramadan is where brands take creative risks. [S: Prosdelacom]
• Ramadan is the one moment when all targets (rich and poor, urban and rural, young and old) watch TV together as a family for about 2.5 h after iftar. About 60 % of ad recall comes from creative quality, not spend (Sigma study). [S: Kapitalis]
• Ramadan 2026 saw a historic 11 % drop in ad spend, and TV still dominated, with three channels taking > 84 % of audience. [S: African Manager] The TV budget is about 150 MD, half of it controlled by five companies, and digital is only 20 % but growing. Agencies' own motto: "not the brand that hits hardest but the one that touches the heart." Strong opening seconds were critical. [S: Managers / Ramadanes'Comm 2026]
• Pub&Co Ramadan Awards 2026 winners: Orange (telecom), Lloyd (insurance), Tunisie Booking (services), Saïda (sweets and jury prize), Danette, Président, El Mazraa, L'Épi d'Or, Lilas, Boga, Skoda, Kyufi, and Thon La Goulette (radio). The awards celebrate "humor, Tunisian identity and audiovisual innovation" and pay homage to legendary 1980s-90s slogans such as Jean Fantasia, Chorba frik and Javel Judy. [S: Managers]
• Celebrity endorsement is normal and valued. There are awards for best male and female celebrity performance, and Tunisie Telecom won with actor Jaleleddine Saadi (Fibre TT, 2025). [S: Webdo]

2.2 The telecom trio sets the creative bar [S]

Pattern: the recipe is (1) a familiar Tunisian melody or hook, (2) a Derja rewrite with wordplay, (3) a warm ensemble cast across generations, (4) a nostalgic or everyday setting, (5) a participative tail (filter, challenge, UGC).

2.3 Food and FMCG codes (Délice, Vitalait, Warda, Diari, Saïda...) [S + F]

• Pasta, couscous, harissa, tuna and dairy brands carry the mother / family table narrative. A Warda pasta spot showed a mother supporting her university child who later sends money home from abroad, which touches the emigration reality inside every family. [S: Khatt30]
• Food brands dominate both ads and actual Ramadan consumption (couscous, pasta, chorba frik). [S: Managers]
• Representation is a sensitive area. A Natilait spot with a Black actor drew racist backlash from a far-right movement, and a Tunisie Telecom spot featuring the historical figure Moncef Bey was withdrawn after backlash. [S: Khatt30] Casting diverse Tunisians is right, but brands must be ready to stand by it. Historical and political figures are a minefield.
• The media regulator HAICA has been inactive since 2023. Some channels ran 27-36 min of ads in prime slots. [S: Khatt30] The audience is saturated and critical: Tunisians now review and compare ads publicly. [S: Prosdelacom]

2.4 TV series and sitcom aesthetics [S + F]

• Choufli Hal (2005-2009) is still rebroadcast on several channels. It is set in a Tunis apartment building and relies on the comedy of a naïve half-brother (Sboui) and meddling neighbours, and it is endlessly quoted and memed. Nsibti Laaziza (Nessma) is a family sitcom about in-laws. [S: Wikipedia, Tekiano]
• Ramadan 2026 moved to short 10-15 episode series. Comedies included Hadhi Akhretha (El Hiwar), Sahbak Rajet 2 (Nessma) and Bab Bnet. Dramas are grittier: counterfeit money, Ben Guerdane, moral collapse. [S: La Presse]
• Fallujah (a high-school drama) set the audience record with nearly 4 M viewers and an 85 % share. [S: Kapitalis]
• Visual grammar [F]: sitcoms use bright, flat, multi-camera lighting, a real-looking middle-class salon (sofa, TV, tiles, curtains), and ensemble shots at a doorway or around a table. Dramas use teal-orange grading, handheld camera, and working-class neighbourhoods (Hay Ettadhamen, Jebel Jelloud types).

2.5 Creators and influencer formats [S]

• The top profiles (Favikon 2026) are Samy Chaffai (filmmaking), Douha Laribi (humor/lifestyle, about 18.6 M followers across networks), Warda Omri (traditional recipes), Oussema "BNL" (gaming), Fidaal Ben Zareb ("qesma w nsib" fate memes), Rafika Aouaay (comedy skits) and Ela Ben Salem (fitness). Riomadon does comedic storytelling (more than 6 M on YouTube and TikTok). Actress Dorra Zarrouk has about 17 M on IG. [S: Favikon, WMC]
• Dominant formats: POV and relatable skits, one person playing several family roles (mother / son / neighbour), "street interview" micro-trottoir, recipe and kitchen close-ups, "storytime" talking head, reaction duets.
• → For Lead Up [F]: "one actor, several roles" and "talking-head installer / owner" are the two most native formats and the cheapest to fake convincingly with AI. Never imitate a specific real creator (see §6).

2.6 Meme and humor codes [S + F]

• Big meme pages include Sarcasm Tunisia (about 980 K likes) and Tunisian Memes. [S: Facebook pages]
• Tunisian humor [F] is self-deprecating and sarcastic, about daily struggle: prices, the STEG bill, administration ("ija ghodwa", "come back tomorrow"), louage chaos, the bac, in-laws, the summer wedding circuit, Aïd sheep prices. It features exaggerated reaction faces, and freeze-frame + zoom + a dramatic sound are memes in themselves.
• Wordplay mixes Derja and French ("ya3tik essa7a", "c'est bon", "normal"). The sitcom quotes are shared cultural capital.
• Regional jokes (Sfaxiens and money, Jebalia, "Sahel") are popular in memes but risky for brands: they alienate a region. Avoid them.

2.7 Music [S + F]

→ Engine rule: generate original music "in the style of" (mezwed-trap, malouf motif, salhi flute). Never re-use or re-sing a real song's melody or lyrics without rights. The big brands license them, and Lead Up can't.

3. Visual identity: authentic cues vs clichés

3.1 Architecture by region [S + F]

→ Engine rule: a default background for trade ads is an ordinary Tunisian house or street, e.g. a suburb flat roof, a tiled salon, a neighbourhood shop, not a landmark. Use a landmark only as a 1-second "where" establishing shot.

3.2 Interiors [S + F]

• The salon tunisien: tiled floors (often marble or granito-look), painted ceramic tile skirting or wall bands (jliz) in blue, green and ochre patterns (Qallaline heritage, today mostly Nabeul production). Traditional salon arbi banquettes line the walls with cushions and colourful textiles, and there is often a modern corner sofa in beige or grey too. The room also has heavy curtains, a big TV, a woven klim rug, copper or brass trays, and plastic-covered furniture in some homes. [S: Tanitdeco, Qallalin tiles]
• Kitchen: a gas bottle, a tajine-style tiled worktop, harissa and olive oil bottles, a couscoussier, a bread basket (baguette + tabouna).
• Summer interiors: a split air-conditioner unit on the wall (the icon of STEG bills), a fan, closed shutters at noon.
• Winter interiors: cold tiled homes, a blue-flame gas heater (chauffage), blankets, kachabia at home.
• Moroccan vs Tunisian: Tunisian tiles are square painted tiles. Moroccan zellige is a mosaic of small cut pieces. Tunisian doors are studded wood with arched tops, not Moroccan carved cedar keyhole arches.

3.3 Street life [S + F]

• Louage: a white minivan with a coloured stripe (red = intercity, blue = regional, yellow = south, green = northwest), shouting drivers, leaving when full. [S: Wikipedia, The National]
• Taxis: individual taxis are yellow. [F]
• Cafés: men's neighbourhood cafés with plastic or metal chairs, cards (rami, chkoba), shisha, capucin, direct, express, qahwa arbi. Coffee is drunk seated, never "to go". The morning café ritual is sacred. [S: Carthage Magazine, Engaging Cultures] Mixed youth cafés and salons de thé exist in the suburbs. [F]
• Markets: the Marché Central of Tunis, weekly souk in towns, stacked oranges, peppers, harissa, fish on ice, olive oil in plastic bottles. [F]
• Food on the street: kaskrout, lablabi, fricassé, chapati (Tunisian style), makloub, brik, bambalouni, and jasmine (mechmoum) sellers in summer. [F]
• Everyday textures: the orange-and-white road kerbs, the Tunisian licence plate (black with white characters, تونس), motorcycles (Forza-style scooters), Isuzu pick-ups on building sites, 206/Clio/Polo/Kia cars, blue electric poles, STEG meters on façades. [F] Plates and logos must be text-free in AI shots. Blur or omit them.

3.4 Clothing and casting [S + F]

• Everyday wear is modern and Mediterranean: jeans, polo shirts, sneakers, hoodies and leather jackets in winter; women with and without hijab in the same frame (both are normal), colourful modern headscarves, no niqab or abaya. [F]
• The traditional pieces are occasion wear. The chechia is red and worn mainly by older men on holidays and religious feasts. [S: Wikipedia] The jebba (men) and the blouza / kaftan (women) appear at weddings, Aïd, Friday prayer and March 16 (National Dress Day). [F] The sefsari (white veil) is worn by very old women in medina scenes only. Rural winter wear is the kachabia (hooded wool cloak).
• Faces: Tunisians are Mediterranean / North African, with olive to brown skin tones, real diversity including Black Tunisians (south, Djerba, Gabès, Medenine), dark curly or straight hair, men often with short beards or stubble, and women with visible curly hair. [F] Avoid Gulf features and styling, Europeanised "stock" faces, and over-lightened skin.
• Workers (installers): a work polo with a (text-free) logo patch, cargo trousers, safety shoes, harness on roofs, a cap. They are young to mid-age Tunisian technicians, and female engineers are credible in Tunisia (a large share of engineering graduates). [F]
• Gender norms: Tunisia has the most liberal family code in the Arab world (CSP 1956), so mixed-gender scenes, working women and couples in a home are all normal. Keep it family-decent: no kissing, modest beachwear.

3.5 Colours [S + F]

3.6 Typography and script [S + F]

• Bilingual is the norm in Tunisian advertising. Arabic and French are often complementary, not redundant: e.g. technical info in one language and emotion in the other. [S: Cairn ELA] Derja entered written advertising in the late 1990s and is now used by about 90 % of advertisers. MSA is rare in ads outside cultural or institutional events. [S: IFPO]
• Arabizi / Tunizi (Latin + digits) is the script of comments and chats: 3 = ع, 7 = ح, 9 = ق, 5 = خ, 8 = غ, 2 = ء. [S: Ithaca Bound, TUNIZI] It is youthful and TikTok-native, but harder to read quickly for 40+.
• Tunisian specifics: 9 = ق and 5 = خ are very common. In Gulf Arabizi 9 usually means ص, and Egyptian writers rarely use 9 or 5. A Gulf-style spelling therefore reads as "not from here". [S + F]
• Engine rule (Remotion): 1. Headline / hook in Derja in Arabic script (bold, high contrast). Default for 30+ audiences. 2. Prices, brand, technical terms in Latin / French: "Onduleur hybride", "kWc", "Prosol", "1 500 DT". 3. Arabizi only for youth / TikTok variants and for comment-style overlays ("3aychek", "9adeh?"). Always test it against the Arabic-script version. 4. Numbers on screen are digits (house rule). The Tunisian dinar has 3 decimals, so prefer round numbers ("1 500 DT", "49 DT/mois") and avoid "1.500,000". 5. Fonts: modern geometric Arabic sans (e.g. Cairo, Tajawal, IBM Plex Sans Arabic, Noto Kufi Arabic) paired with a clean Latin sans. Avoid Diwani / Thuluth calligraphy in normal ads because it reads as Gulf / religious. Use it only as a Ramadan ornament.

4. What converts for Tunisian SMEs and tradesmen

4.1 Trust signals (in order of power) [S + F]

1. A real face: the owner or technician talking to camera in Derja, ideally on a real roof or in a real shop. AI faces must look like ordinary Tunisians, never models.
2. Proof of place: the city name ("Sfax", "Sousse", "Ben Arous") on screen, a recognisable street, and "we come to you in [governorate]".
3. A +216 number and a WhatsApp CTA. Show the number as XX XXX XXX and use the WhatsApp icon (drawn in Remotion). Tunisians expect to chat before buying, and many pages answer "prix en inbox". [F] Showing the price or a "starting from" price is a trust differentiator.
4. Official anchors (only if true): ANME approval / Prosol Elec eligibility (500 DT classic or 1,500 DT Prosol Elec économique subsidy, repaid over 7-10 years through the STEG bill at 3 % for the économique version), STEG connection handled, warranties, known equipment brands. [S: La Presse, STES, VLD Solar]
5. Social proof: real client testimonials (with written consent), "+120 installations in the Sahel" (only if true), before/after bills (not bodies, §6).
6. Honesty against scams: Tunisian solar buyers have heard "free panels", "zero bill forever", "payback in 2 years" and "offer ends tomorrow". [S: VLD Solar] Anti-scam framing converts: "no fake promises: here is the real calculation", a site visit before the quote, a written quote.
7. "Made / installed in Tunisia" and a local team: pride in local work. [F]
8. Cash on delivery / pay later for e-commerce: online card payment is still a barrier and COD is standard. [S: agence-web-tunis ("obstacles to online payment") + F]

4.2 Language strategy [S]

• Voice: Derja (Tunis-neutral accent) always. French trade words stay French (house rule). No MSA voice-over (it sounds like the news or a government notice). No Egyptian or Gulf accent.
• On-screen: Arabic-script Derja + French terms, with Arabizi only for youth variants.
• Premium or medical sectors (private clinics, international schools, real estate at La Marsa or Lac) can lean more French in text: French still signals competence and class among urban elites. The voice stays Derja-first with French code-switching, which is how Tunisian doctors actually talk. [F]

4.3 What to avoid [S + F]

• Wrong country: Moroccan (zellige, riad, djellaba, babouches, tagine as the dish), Gulf (thobe, ghutra, majlis gold, desert-and-camel luxury, Diwani gold calligraphy), Egyptian (galabeya, fanous-lantern Ramadan, Cairo street, Egyptian accent), Algerian or Libyan cues passed off as Tunisian.
• Western stock: blond families in American suburbs, wooden detached houses, pitched roofs with solar panels (Tunisian roofs are flat terraces), US-style kitchens and pickup trucks.
• Religious misuse: Quran recitation or verses as ad audio, a mosque as product backdrop, prayer scenes selling products, a sheikh endorsing. Religious occasions (Ramadan, Aïd, Mouled) are fine and expected, but keep them festive and familial, not devotional. (TT's "Recharge Omra" shows spirituality can work when tied to a real product benefit.) [S + F]
• Politics: no president, parties, UGTT, elections, the 2011 revolution, migration controversies, or satire of officials. Decree-law 2022-54 penalises "false news" online. [S: Village Justice] Historical figures can backfire, as the TT / Moncef Bey spot did. [S: Khatt30]
• Regional stereotypes (Sfaxien stinginess, "Jebali", etc.) and racial jokes.
• Alcohol, gambling, "easy money" imagery: this is also bad for trust with installers. [F]
• Excessive luxury (gold, Lamborghinis, Dubai skylines): Tunisians read it as a scam or as Gulf content. [F]

5. Seasonal hooks (with 2026-2027 dates)

Islamic dates are approximate (± 1 day, decided by moon sighting). [F]

Summer 2027 solar hook (key): the summer-2026 memories are fresh. A record heatwave started on 11 July 2026, load-shedding followed, STEG blamed air conditioning at the 14:00-16:00 peak, and STEG authorised home batteries with hybrid inverters on 24 July 2026. [S: pv magazine, African Manager] Campaigns should start in March-May 2027: "Next summer, keep the clim on even when the power goes off", "your panels produce most exactly when you use the clim".

6. Legal and platform basics (not legal advice; confirm with a Tunisian lawyer)

7. STYLE LIBRARY: Tunisian style cards for the AI engine

Each card gives: When, Palette, Settings, Casting / wardrobe, Camera and edit, Text (Remotion), Music / SFX, Voice tone, Hook patterns, Avoid, and a prompt seed (English, text-free, for Nano Banana 2 or Omni).

S1 · "Ramadan family TV" (warm cinematic, nostalgic)

• When: Ramadan (from 2 weeks before until Aïd), Aïd el-Fitr, Mouled. FMCG, restaurants (iftar menus), telecom-like services, e-commerce (Aïd clothes). For solar: "a cool house for the whole family".
• Palette: amber / honey #E0A458, deep navy night #14213D, harissa red #B3261E, jasmine white.
• Settings: a living room at iftar (a low table then the dining table, brik, chorba frik, dates, lben, bread), a medina street at night with string lights, a grandmother's kitchen, a café after iftar.
• Casting: three generations. The grandmother (sometimes a sefsari or headscarf), a mother (hijab or none), a father in a sweater, kids, and an uncle making jokes.
• Camera: warm tungsten practicals, slow push-ins, table top-shots, handheld family chaos, 24 fps feel.
• Text: "صحة فطوركم", "رمضان مبروك" style greetings (check the Derja lint), in a soft rounded Arabic font. Keep ornament to a thin crescent line, not heavy calligraphy.
• Music: a malouf motif (oud + violin) or an original mezwed-lite tune with a kids' chant. Sound design: the adhan cue is implied by the sunset and the clock (don't use a real adhan recording in an ad), brik sizzling, laughter.
• Voice: warm, the mother or grandfather narrating. Humor with tenderness.
• Hooks: "the kid who steals a brik before the adhan", "the wait-for-iftar countdown", "grandma's recipe vs the delivery app".
• Avoid: the Egyptian fanous as the main symbol, a Gulf majlis, Quran audio, showing eating during fasting hours as a joke about fasting.
• Seed: "Tunisian family iftar at sunset in a modest tiled living room, three generations around a table with brik, chorba frik soup, dates and bread, warm tungsten light, candid laughter, no text".

S2 · "Talking-head craftsman" (UGC trust, the installer speaks)

• When: the always-on base format for installers (solar, alarms, AC, plumbing) and any owner-led SME.
• Palette: natural daylight, the client's brand colour as a small accent.
• Settings: a real flat roof in a Tunisian suburb (water tank, dish, parapet, neighbouring rooftops), a van, a workshop, a client's salon.
• Casting: a Tunisian technician aged 28-45 with stubble, a work polo and a cap. A female engineer variant is fine.
• Camera: selfie-style or a tripod at chest height, jump cuts every 2-3 s, B-roll inserts (screwing panels, an inverter screen, a phone app).
• Text: big outlined Derja captions (house style), key numbers in digits, "📍 Sfax"-style location chips drawn in code, and a WhatsApp button at the end.
• Music: a light mezwed-trap loop at a low level, or none.
• Voice: direct, tutoiement, confident, a little humor.
• Hooks: "Facture STEG 300 DT? Chouf chnowa sar m3a Si Mohamed", "3 questions everyone asks me before installing panels", "don't sign anything before you hear this".
• Avoid: suits, a studio backdrop, a Western house, over-polished AI skin.
• Seed: "Tunisian solar technician in his thirties on a flat concrete rooftop in a Tunis suburb, black water tanks and satellite dishes behind, holding a drill, talking to camera, natural midday light, candid phone-video look, no text".

S3 · "Sketch comedy / one actor, many roles" (TikTok-native humor)

• When: awareness, TikTok, youth, e-commerce, restaurants, schools. Good for the "problem" part of any ad.
• Palette: bright and flat sitcom lighting, saturated clothes.
• Settings: a middle-class salon (sofa, TV, tiles, curtains), a neighbourhood shop, a louage, an office counter.
• Casting: the same actor as mother / son / neighbour, sitcom archetypes: the naïve cousin, the know-it-all neighbour, the stingy uncle (never tied to a region).
• Camera: static frontal shots, fast cuts, freeze-frame + zoom + a "boom" SFX meme grammar, reaction close-ups.
• Text: meme-style captions, Arabizi allowed in youth variants, emoji drawn in code.
• Music / SFX: sitcom stings, vine-boom-style hits, a dramatic violin sting, and original meme sounds (no copyrighted audio).
• Voice: fast, exaggerated, Tunis street Derja, wordplay.
• Hooks: "Ki tjik facture STEG fi awsst juillet" (the face-reaction meme), "POV: your mother discovers the price of...", "the neighbour who always knows better".
• Avoid: regional jokes, jokes on religion, women or officials, and mocking the customer.
• Seed: "Tunisian man in his twenties sitting on a beige corner sofa in a tiled living room with a wall-mounted air conditioner, exaggerated shocked expression while looking at a paper bill, bright flat sitcom lighting, no text".

S4 · "Summer heat and STEG bill" (problem → solution, solar and battery hero)

• When: March-August (peak in June-July), and replays after any outage news. Solar PV, hybrid batteries, inverter AC, insulation.
• Palette: a hot overexposed exterior (#FFB703 sun, bleached white), then a cool blue interior (#219EBC) after the solution: the colour temperature tells the story.
• Settings: a heat-shimmer street at 14:00, shutters closed, a sweating family under a fan, a power cut (dark flat, phone flashlight), then panels on the roof and the AC humming, the fridge light on.
• Casting: a family of 4, a grandfather with a fan, kids with ice cream.
• Camera: heat haze, slow motion on sweat, a hard cut to darkness for the outage, a satisfying reveal of the panels at golden hour.
• Text: bill amount "450 DT" → "120 DT" (only real client numbers), "Batterie = ma3adech coupure", "Prosol: -1 500 DT" (only if eligible).
• Music: tension drone → release into a bright mezwed-trap drop.
• Voice: empathetic, then confident.
• Hooks: "14h, 45°, w t9os edhaw" (the power cut), "your roof is paying the sun for nothing", "your panels produce most exactly when your clim runs".
• Avoid: "zero bill forever", "free panels", fake urgency; pitched Western roofs.
• Seed: "Tunisian family in a dim tiled living room during a summer power cut, closed shutters with bright slits of sunlight, grandfather fanning himself, children on the floor, hot hazy atmosphere, no text".

S5 · "Night-watch security" (alarms, cameras)

• When: autumn-winter (long nights), before summer holidays ("you're at the beach, your house is alone"), Aïd travel, and new shop openings.
• Palette: night navy #14213D, sodium-orange street light, the cold cyan of a phone screen.
• Settings: a quiet Tunisian residential street at night (villa walls with wrought-iron gates, broken glass or spikes on top of walls [F], a parked Clio), a small shop's metal shutter, a phone showing a live camera feed.
• Casting: a shop owner, a mother alone with kids, a diaspora (TRE) owner checking home from France.
• Camera: CCTV angles, slow dolly, phone POV, a notification pop.
• Text: "Chouf darek men telifounek", a 24/7 badge, "installation f nhar" (only if true).
• Music: a low pulse, a minimal beat.
• Voice: calm, reassuring; never fear-mongering or crime statistics.
• Avoid: masked burglars with weapons (too violent, can trip Meta rules), police uniforms and emblems, the identifiable faces of "thieves".
• Seed: "quiet Tunisian residential street at night, white villa with a black wrought-iron gate and a small security camera on the wall, warm sodium street light, parked small hatchback, calm atmosphere, no text".

S6 · "Souk / market energy" (promo, price, volume)

• When: promos, Aïd el-Adha, soldes (Tunisian sales seasons, winter and summer [F]), restaurants, e-commerce drops.
• Palette: saturated reds, oranges and greens of produce; harissa red; a sunlit canvas awning.
• Settings: a weekly souk, the Marché Central, stacked peppers and oranges, a hanout (neighbourhood shop), a delivery scooter.
• Casting: vendors and shoppers of all ages, a delivery rider.
• Camera: quick whip-pans, top shots of crates, handheld crowd energy, stop-motion price reveals.
• Text: a price in DT with a bounce animation, "livraison partout f Tounes", "khalles ki tousel" (cash on delivery).
• Music: fast mezwed with darbouka rolls, vendor-shout samples (original).
• Voice: a loud, joyful market-vendor style.
• Avoid: Moroccan spice-cone souks (Marrakech look), Egyptian markets.
• Seed: "busy Tunisian weekly market, stacked red peppers and oranges in wooden crates, canvas awnings, sunny morning, shoppers in everyday modern clothes, no text".

S7 · "Café capucin talk" (word-of-mouth, male decision-makers)

• When: solar, cars, insurance and financing. "A friend tells a friend" testimonials.
• Palette: cream #F3E9DC, espresso brown, a green metal-chair accent.
• Settings: a neighbourhood café terrace, morning, small glasses of capucin and direct, cards on the table, a TV showing football (no readable logos).
• Casting: 2-3 men aged 35-60, one sceptical and one convinced; a mixed-youth café variant for younger targets.
• Camera: eye-level two-shots, close-ups of the coffee glass, a phone passed across the table showing the app / bill.
• Text: a dialogue in captions, the CTA as "ab3ath lel WhatsApp".
• Music: ambient café, a light oud.
• Voice: a natural bantering dialogue (two TTS voices).
• Hooks: "9olli, facture mte3ek 9adeh?", the sceptic's question answered by the neighbour's real bill.
• Avoid: shisha as a hero prop (health policy + image), alcohol, European café décor.
• Seed: "two Tunisian men in their forties at a neighbourhood café terrace in the morning, small glasses of espresso with milk foam on a metal table, one showing his phone to the other, plastic chairs, a street behind, no text".

S8 · "Bac and rentrée" (schools, training, tutoring)

• When: September rentrée, the January semester, May-June exams, and the bac results in July.
• Palette: school blue #1F5FA8, notebook white, a highlighter-yellow accent.
• Settings: a Tunisian lycée gate (white wall, blue gate), a bedroom desk with exercise books, a tutoring room, a proud family in the salon on results day.
• Casting: teenagers in modern clothes (hoodies, sneakers), mothers (key decision makers), a teacher.
• Camera: clean, bright, stop-motion of stationery, a results-day celebration with a zgharit (ululation) moment.
• Text: bilingual (Arabic headline + French subject names: "Maths", "Physique", "Info"), a Tunisian grade feel ("/20").
• Music: an upbeat modern pop / rap-lite beat; ululation on the success beat.
• Voice: a mix of encouraging parent and peer.
• Hooks: "El bac mouch ghoul", "the average moves from 9 to 14 in 3 months" (only with proof).
• Avoid: school uniforms from other countries (UK-style ties, US lockers), MSA textbook voice.
• Seed: "Tunisian teenage student at a small desk in a bedroom with tiled floor, exercise books and a laptop, warm evening lamp, focused expression, no text".

S9 · "Summer wedding / jasmine night" (celebration, premium feel)

• When: June-September. Events, photographers, jewellery, beauty, restaurants, real estate for newlyweds, cars.
• Palette: jasmine white #FFFDF7, gold #C9A227, night navy, bougainvillea magenta.
• Settings: a terrace or salle des fêtes at night with string lights, a Sidi Bou Said-style staircase (one shot), the outia trousseau, a car convoy honking.
• Casting: a bride in a kaftan / regional dress (the henna night) and a white dress (wedding night), a groom in a jebba (henna) and a suit, aunties dancing, kids.
• Camera: bokeh night shots, slow motion dancing, drone-like wide shots of the convoy.
• Text: elegant, but still Derja ("mabrouk").
• Music: a mezwed / tabbal wedding energy or a malouf romantic motif; zgharit.
• Avoid: Gulf gold-heavy styling, Moroccan amariya throne and negafa (a distinctly Moroccan wedding code).
• Seed: "Tunisian summer wedding party at night on a terrace with warm string lights, women in colourful embroidered kaftans dancing, jasmine garlands, joyful atmosphere, no text".

S10 · "Heritage premium / slow Mediterranean" (clinics, real estate, premium restaurants)

• When: brand films, premium real estate (La Marsa, Gammarth, Lac, Hammamet, Sousse Kantaoui), private clinics (including medical tourism), premium restaurants, diaspora (TRE) buyers in July-August.
• Palette: lime white, Sidi Bou blue, olive, sand; soft golden hour.
• Settings: a white terrace with a sea view, painted tile bands, a studded blue door (one shot), a modern bright clinic with a Mediterranean light, an olive grove.
• Casting: a composed professional (a Tunisian doctor or architect aged 40-55), a returning diaspora family.
• Camera: slow gimbal, symmetrical frames, long takes, restrained edits.
• Text: a more French-leaning layout, thin elegant Latin + Arabic, minimal.
• Music: a malouf motif re-arranged (piano + oud), or an ambient nay flute.
• Voice: calm Derja with French code-switching (like real Tunisian professionals).
• Avoid: Santorini (Greek blue domes), Moroccan riads, Dubai glass towers, before/after bodies (Meta).
• Seed: "bright modern Tunisian villa terrace at golden hour overlooking the Mediterranean, white walls, a band of hand-painted blue ceramic tiles, olive tree in a terracotta pot, no people, no text".

S11 · "Regional pride / real Tunisia" (interior and south, roots)

• When: campaigns targeting a governorate (Sfax, Gabès, Kairouan, Gafsa, Kasserine, Béja, Jendouba, Tozeur); agriculture, dates, olive oil, local SMEs; solar for farms and pumping.
• Palette: ochre, olive, wheat gold, deep sky.
• Settings: an olive grove at harvest, wheat fields of Béja, a Tozeur palm grove with brick façades, a solar pump in a field, a rural borj.
• Casting: farmers (a kachabia in winter, a straw hat in summer), multigenerational rural families, a Black Tunisian family in the south (authentic diversity).
• Camera: wide landscapes, hands close-up (olives, soil, dates), golden hour.
• Text: the town name as hero ("Sidi Bouzid, heka ahna"), in simple Arabic.
• Music: salhi / gasba flute + bendir, or Bedouin chant with a modern beat.
• Voice: a regional accent is allowed for testimonials; the narrator stays neutral.
• Avoid: misery aesthetics, Star Wars ksour for non-tourism, camel clichés.
• Seed: "olive harvest in a Tunisian grove near Sfax, family members with nets under the trees, winter sun, older man in a brown wool hooded kachabia, no text".

S12 · "Clean motion-graphics explainer" (Remotion-first, data)

• When: Prosol / financing explainers, price lists, "how it works", retargeting. Low AI cost.
• Palette: the client's brand colour + white + one Tunisian accent (red #E70013 sparingly).
• Settings: abstract, with light touches of tile-pattern geometry (Tunisian 8-point star / Qallaline-inspired motifs, drawn as vector) as backgrounds.
• Text: the hero is the kinetic typography: bilingual, numbers in digits, DT prices, an animated STEG bill (a generic document, not the real STEG logo).
• Music: a clean mezwed-trap loop.
• Voice: clear, explanatory Derja.
• Avoid: the flag, the STEG / ANME logos without permission (describe them instead: "mwafa9 3lih men ANME" only if true), MSA.

S13 · "Louage / street POV" (energetic urban, youth)

• When: TikTok, delivery services, e-commerce, youth offers, driving schools, cars.
• Palette: the white of the louage + a red stripe, asphalt grey, bright sky.
• Settings: a louage station (Bab Saadoun / Moncef Bey style), tram crossings, the busy Avenue Bourguiba, a scooter ride.
• Camera: POV, GoPro-style, speed ramps.
• Text: Arabizi allowed, meme captions.
• Music: rap tounsi / trap with a mezwed sample.
• Hooks: "Wa9t el louage ykammel...", the waiting joke, then product delivery beats the louage.
• Seed: "white Tunisian louage minivans with a single red side stripe lined up at a busy station, drivers calling passengers, afternoon light, no readable text or plates".

8. Blacklist: clichés and wrong-country cues (negative prompt material)

Negative prompt terms (add to every Tunisian scene): Moroccan zellige mosaic, Marrakech riad, djellaba, babouche slippers, keyhole Moroccan arch, tagine centerpiece, Gulf thobe, ghutra, agal, abaya with niqab, Emirati majlis, gold Arabic calligraphy wall, Egyptian galabeya, Ramadan fanous lantern (as hero), Cairo street, Santorini blue domes, pitched tiled roof, wooden American house, snowy pine forest, blond family, camels in a city, belly dancer, readable text, logos, license plates, flags.

Overused but Tunisian (use at most one shot per ad): Sidi Bou Said blue doors, the Tataouine / Star Wars ksour, Matmata caves, El Jem amphitheatre, camels in the Douz dunes, the red chechia on young people, couscous as the answer to everything.

Tone clichés to avoid: orientalist "1001 nights", misery porn about the interior regions, Gulf luxury (Lamborghinis, gold), American "hustle" bro-speak, MSA news-anchor voice.

9. Derja copy codes for scripts (check them with lintDerja)

10. Confidence notes and open questions

• Platform numbers: DataReportal is solid. Agency-blog figures (peak hours, Derja +40-60 % engagement, WhatsApp cost per conversation, TikTok CPM) are single-source. Validate them with Lead Up's own first campaigns (A/B: Arabic-script vs Arabizi captions, Derja-only vs Derja + French text).
• Unverified [F] items to check with a Tunisian creative: the louage station names, the solde seasons, the STEG tariff-tranche mechanics (a good hook if confirmed: going over a consumption tranche raises the price of all kWh), the claim that alcohol advertising is banned, and the Mouled / Aïd 2027 dates.
• Meta special ad categories in Tunisia: check in Ads Manager whether financing (Prosol credit) or real estate ads force a category in TN.
• Music rights: the telecom parodies were licensed. Lead Up must compose originals.
• Web search budget ran out before a few planned lookups: Délice / Vitalait visual archives, Meta's Tunisia-specific policy page, e-commerce COD statistics. Those items are marked [F].

Sources

Digital landscape and ad costs - DataReportal, Digital 2026: Tunisia: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-tunisia - DataReportal, Digital 2025: Tunisia: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-tunisia - La Presse, réseaux sociaux (Dec 2025): https://www.lapresse.tn/2025/12/30/reseaux-sociaux-facebook-tiktok-et-instagram-dominent-le-paysage-numerique-tunisien/ - web6.tn, stats réseaux sociaux Tunisie 2026: https://web6.tn/blog/statistiques-reseaux-sociaux-tunisie-2026/ - Digital Discovery, chiffres 2025: https://digital-discovery.tn/chiffres-reseaux-sociaux-tunisie-2025/ - CDCP, Digital 2025 Tunisie, 5 paradoxes: https://www.cdcp-tn.com/digital-2025-tunisie-5-paradoxes/ - Agence Web Tunis, habitudes internet 2026: https://agence-web-tunis.com/en/les-habitudes-des-tunisiens-sur-internet-en-2026-analyse-approfondie-des-usages-numeriques/ - Visibility.tn, Facebook & Instagram Ads Tunisie 2025: https://visibility.tn/guides/publicite-facebook-ads-tunisie-2025 - Smart Target, sponsoring Facebook en Tunisie: https://www.thesmartarget.com/2023/04/01/sponsoring-facebook-en-tunisie/

Advertising culture, Ramadan, TV, creators - Prosdelacom, Aymen Mazigh "Ramadan = Super Bowl": https://prosdelacom.com/article/3520/actualites/aymen-mazigh-584514 - Managers, Pub&Co Ramadan Awards 2026: https://managers.tn/2026/03/17/pubco-ramadan-awards-2026-quand-la-creativite-prime/ - Managers, Ramadanes'Comm 2026: https://managers.tn/2026/06/18/ramadanescomm2026-le-phenomene-de-la-consommation-du-ramadan-raconte-et-decrypte/ - African Manager, Ramadan 2026 ad drop: https://en.africanmanager.com/what-happened-during-ramadan-2026-why-was-there-less-ads/ - Kapitalis, la stratégie Ramadan du marketing: https://kapitalis.com/archive/187-kanal/1115-la-strategie-ramadan-du-marketing-en-tunisie - L'Écho Tunisien, Ramadan 2024 telecom ads: https://lechotunisien.com/ramadan-2024-publicites-les-operateurs-telephoniques-reinventent-la-communication/ - Webdo, Tunisie Telecom awarded (2025): https://www.webdo.tn/fr/actualite/national/creativite-et-emotion-tunisie-telecom-recompensee-pour-ses-campagnes/221144 - Entreprises Magazine, TT engaged ad: https://www.entreprises-magazine.com/tunisie-telecom-recompensee-pour-sa-publicite-engagee-pendant-le-ramadan/ - WMC, Ooredoo and "Kmaira": https://www.webmanagercenter.com/2023/04/16/505947/ooredoo-tunisie-etait-honoree-daccueillir-kmaira-la-petite-star-de-ramadan/ - Ooredoo Ramadan 2025 spot (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-fWpstv9Bk - Khatt30, سلطة إعلانات رمضان (critical analysis): https://khatt30.com/%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%B6%D8%A7%D9%86/ - Al Majalla, Ramadan in Tunisia: https://www.majalla.com/node/329999/ - La Presse, Ramadan 2026 TV grids: https://www.lapresse.tn/2026/02/14/grilles-des-teles-du-mois-de-ramadan-des-series-courtes-entre-drames-et-comedies/ - Kapitalis, Fallujah audience record: https://kapitalis.com/tunisie/2023/04/12/tunisie-la-serie-fallujah-detient-le-record-daudience/ - Wikipedia, Choufli Hal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choufli_Hal - Favikon, top TikTokers Tunisia 2026: https://www.favikon.com/blog/top-tiktokers-tunisia - Directinfo, TikTok creators and youth culture: https://directinfo.webmanagercenter.com/2026/04/19/tunisie-succes-des-createurs-tiktok-et-nouvelle-expression-de-la-culture-jeune/ - WMC, top 5 influenceurs tunisiens: https://www.webmanagercenter.com/2024/11/10/534083/reseaux-sociaux-tiktok-youtube-instagram-top-5-des-influenceurs-tunisiens/ - Sarcasm Tunisia (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/Tunisia.Sarcasm

Music - Wikipedia, Music of Tunisia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Tunisia - Wikipedia, Mezwed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezwed - Wikipedia, Ma'luf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma%27luf - Arabsounds, Tunisian hip-hop: https://www.arabsounds.net/blog/tunisian-hiphop-these-are-the-most-popular-rappers-from-tunisia/ - Wikipedia, Balti: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balti_(singer)

Language and script - IFPO / OpenEdition, French in Tunisian media: https://books.openedition.org/ifpo/19129?lang=en - Cairn, "La foire aux langues" (ELA 2019): https://shs.cairn.info/revue-ela-2019-4-page-363?lang=fr - Nawaat, le dialecte tunisien: https://nawaat.org/2023/08/30/le-dialectal-tunisien-de-la-stigmatisation-a-la-revendication/ - Ithaca Bound, numbers as letters in Tunisian Arabic: https://www.ithacaboundlanguages.com/articles/numbers-as-letters-in-tunisian-arabic/ - TUNIZI dataset (arXiv): https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.14303

Visual identity - Carthage Magazine, Tunisian architecture: https://carthagemagazine.com/the-tunisian-architecture/ - My Chakchouka, Sidi Bou Said myths and truths: https://www.mychakchouka.com/sidi-bou-said-myths-and-truths-blue-and-white - Wikipedia, Sidi Bou Said: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidi_Bou_Said - Wikipedia, Qallalin tiles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qallalin_tiles - Wikipedia, Menzel (Djerba): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menzel_(Djerba) - Wikipedia, Chechia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chechia - Wikipedia, Louage / share taxi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louage - The National, the Tunisian louage: https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/travel/the-tunisian-louage-is-a-vehicle-of-a-different-stripe-1.555083 - Engaging Cultures, coffee culture: https://www.engagingcultures.com/coffee-culture-in-tunisia-tips-for-travelers/ - Carthage Magazine, coffee culture: https://carthagemagazine.com/coffee-culture-in-tunisia/ - Tanit Déco, salon arabesque: https://www.tanitdeco.com/salon-arabesque.html

Energy, solar, seasonal - pv magazine, Tunisia authorises residential solar-plus-storage (24 Jul 2026): http://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/07/24/tunisia-authorizes-residential-solar-plus-storage-amid-heatwave/ - African Manager, SONEDE vs STEG, air conditioners (summer 2026): https://en.africanmanager.com/when-sonede-blames-steg-and-steg-blames-air-conditioners/ - African Manager, STEG ready for summer 2026: https://en.africanmanager.com/ready-for-summer-2026-with-stable-electricity-supply-says-steg-ceo/ - La Presse, Prosol Elec économique: https://www.lapresse.tn/2025/11/25/photovoltaique-lanme-lance-son-prosol-elec-economique/ - STES, subventions photovoltaïque 2026: https://www.stes.tn/subventions-photovoltaique-tunisie-prosol-anme/ - VLD Solar, arnaques dans le solaire en Tunisie: https://vldsolar.com/arnaques-et-promesses-trompeuses-dans-le-solaire-en-tunisie-comment-les-eviter/ - STEG, list of eligible Prosol suppliers: https://www.steg.com.tn/fr/document/liste-des-fournisseurs-%C3%A9ligibles-au-programme-prosol-dans-le-secteur-r%C3%A9sidentiel - Wikipedia, Public holidays in Tunisia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Tunisia

Legal and platform - Jurisite, Loi 98-40 (techniques de vente et publicité), arts. 35-43: https://www.jurisitetunisie.com/tunisie/codes/vente/ven1035.htm - Loi 92-117 protection du consommateur (FAO): https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/Tun190410.pdf - Prosdelacom, flag use in ads forbidden: https://prosdelacom.com/article/1525/coulisses-de-la-com/interdite-274323 - Wikipédia FR, Drapeau de la Tunisie: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drapeau_de_la_Tunisie - INPDP texts: https://www.inpdp.tn/textes.xhtml - DPO Consulting, Loi 2004-63 guide 2026: https://www.dpo-consulting.com/fr-fr/blog/loi-tunisienne-sur-la-protection-des-donnees - Village Justice, décret-loi 54 vs loi 2004-63: https://www.village-justice.com/articles/decret-loi-face-loi-2004-sur-les-donnees-personnelles-une-perspective-critique,54276.html - Meta, labeling AI-generated content: https://about.fb.com/news/2024/04/metas-approach-to-labeling-ai-generated-content-and-manipulated-media/ - Meta Transparency, personal attributes: https://transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/objectionable-content/privacy-violations-personal-attributes/ - Meta Transparency, social issues / political ads: https://transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/SIEP-advertising/SIEP/ - Jon Loomer, Financial Products and Services special ad category: https://www.jonloomer.com/qvt/financial-products-and-services/ - Primores wiki, Meta health / before-after policy: https://primores.org/wiki/marketing/meta-ad-policy/