World-renowned Egyptian heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub wowed audiences this week with his heartfelt star-studded Ramadan ad for the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation, which has been hailed as the best ad of the year.
The ad, which features various Egyptian stars performing a song titled "Ersem Qalb" (Draw a Heart), went viral online after its release and became a top trending topic on Twitter in Egypt, with thousands of users expressing their admiration for the production and Yacoub himself.
It includes stars from the sports world such as prominent footballers Mahmoud Al-Khatib, Hossam Ghaly and Hazem Emam, as well as stars from the entertainment world such as Donia Samir Ghanem, Mohamed Hamaki, Esaad Younis and Nelly Karim .
"Ersem Qalb is the song I loved the most out of all of the things I've worked on so far. A dream I've had for three years that has finally come true, thank God," wrote Egyptian producer and singer Hisham Gamal, who produced, directed and starred in the ad.
The ad starts with a group of children walking into a beautiful theater followed by Yacoub as they take their seats to watch the performance of the inspirational "Ersem Qalb," which was written by Egyptian songwriter Amir Teima .
After the hopeful tune is over, the ad ends with a long shot of an emotional Yacoub giving the performance a standing ovation, which particularly got the attention of many social media users.
"In the middle of the darkness, someone comes and makes us feel proud of being Egyptian, Dr. Magdi Yacoub deserves all the respect and admiration," wrote one Twitter user.
"The 90 million Egyptians should stand up and respectfully applaud everything that he does, a person who forces you to be proud of being Egyptian," wrote another.
While another user simply described Yacoub as "a heart of gold," adding that the ad is "the best ad for a great person that will be immortalized in the history of humanity."
Others commented on the stark differences between "Ersem Qalb" and other Egyptian ad campaigns, which they believe use cheap humor and profanity to get more attention in Egypt's overcrowded ad space.
"An ad that doesn't include a single profane word, communicates a humane message in a way of utmost respect, all admiration and respect goes to Dr. Magdi Yacoub," wrote one Twitter user.
Another user called it "the first respectable ad in Ramadan," adding that there's "so much respect and admiration in this ad." Some users also pointed out the great quality of the production itself, with many praising Gamal's direction.
Yacoub, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Imperial College London, is one of the world's most renowned heart transplant surgeons who pioneered several transplant methods. He established heart transplant procedures in the United Kingdom and was knighted in 1992, in addition to receiving Britain's Order of Merit in 2014.
Yacoub established Chain of Hope in the UK, a charitable organization that provides cardiac services for children in the developing world and MYF in Egypt, which provides free medical services for cardiovascular diseases to the less privileged in Egypt and the Middle East.