Aldi is coming out swinging with the launch of a new campaign that mocks competitors attempting to price match its products as it looks to reclaim some of the ground recently lost to rivals.

The supermarket, long seen as a benchmark for others to position with on price, has launched the ‘Can’t Match This’ TV ad. In it, a father-and-son duo break into song and dance to the tune of MC Hammer’s ‘U Can’t Touch This’ when they learn another supermarket is attempting to price match Aldi.

Created by McCann, the ad is part of a wider marketing campaign that aims to reinforce the message that Aldi’s prices can’t be matched. The ad goes live today (24 May).

“We’ve seen increased attempts from other supermarkets trying to match Aldi prices but there’s only one supermarket where every price is an Aldi price,” says Aldi UK’s marketing director Jemma Townsend.

“Competitors promoting a small number of items will never give customers the full benefits of an Aldi priced shop.”

Following the launch, hundreds of price cuts will be promoted under a new ‘prices hammered’ strapline, alongside the supermarket’s ‘Wine of the Week’ offer, which sees bestselling bottles reduced by up to 65%.

Swap and save suggestions will also be showcased, positioning products from Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s alongside cheaper alternatives from Aldi.

Positioning with vs against: Does comparing to rivals really pay off?

Aldi is often used as a benchmark for low prices, with rival supermarkets increasingly matching their prices to those offered by the discounter.

Both Sainsbury’s and Tesco have credited their Aldi Price Match initiatives for bolstering sales.

Speaking to Marketing Week about Tesco’s decision to price match Aldi in 2022, Passionbrand founder and Marketing Week columnist Helen Edwards warned that positioning with initiatives like this shouldn’t be “constant” and should form “part of [a] package” for consumers.

Aldi has also pledged to ramp up investment this year, with plans to top the £380m it invested in price reductions in 2023.

The new campaign comes at a time when Aldi’s growth is slowing. In the 12 weeks to 17 March, Aldi increased sales by just 3.1%, according to Kantar, well behind that of discounter rival Lidl, which grew sales by 8.8%. Meanwhile, Tesco grew sales by 5.8%, Sainsbury’s (6.7%) and Morrisons (3.6%), while Ocado was the fastest-growing supermarket last month at 9.5%.