Carrots once again give Aldi’s Christmas an added crunch

Aldi’s Christmas campaign offering, featuring a moustached pair of carrots, borders on the absurd. But it’s Christmas, so why not?

Aldi’s 2024 Christmas ad won’t win any Palme D’ors, but bringing back Kevin the Carrot, the much-loved animated mascot, makes for a cute and amusing holiday mission.

This year’s ad, directed by Sam Brown from Rogue Films, sees Kevin facing off against Dr. Humbug and her minions to save the “Spirit of Christmas”. The adventure begins with some cutely menacing ‘Humbug’ characters capturing the village’s holiday spirit, casting everything into darkness. Kevin, awakened by Santa, embarks on a comedic mission with his wife, Katie, involving disguises, false-’bottom' cases, and booby traps as they infiltrate the Humbug Headquarters.

The ad, developed by creative agency McCann UK, continues Aldi's Christmas success with its beloved orange mascot, hitting a light tone while highlighting a more meaningful message about holiday goodwill and affordability.

Jemma Townsend, Aldi’s marketing director, noted that Kevin’s return has become a beloved part of the British Christmas season, and the 2024 ad continues Aldi’s tradition of festive entertainment mixed with an emphasis on providing quality at accessible prices for all during the holidays.

Our take

The use of animation in Christmas ads this year has been both frequent and well executed, and Aldi’s effort is no different, with a quirky, high budget ‘Pixar’ look, and maximalist sound design.

It’s best not to get too intellectual about an ad featuring a carrot wearing a set of prosthetic buttocks, but Aldi’s effort should be admired, nonetheless, for its unashamed Yule Tide iconography, and sumptuous food photography: some of the most mouth watering of the Christmas ads this year.

Kevin The Carrot, bless him, has taken Aldi’s ads to the peak of the Christmas view counts, according to LoveMoney, so it seems a wise move to stick (geddit?) with the crunchy mascot once again.