Kevin the Carrot returns for Aldi Christmas campaign

Aldi has brought back its popular Kevin the Carrot character for its Christmas ad campaign this year as it looks to build on what appears to be its winning festive formula.

The ad will premiere this evening (6 November) on ITV during Coronation Street, having been previewed on YouTube today.

The TV ad sees Kevin joined by new characters including Harry the Hedgehog and actor Jim Broadbent playing Father Christmas, as he seeks to get home to his carrot family in time for the festive celebrations. It riffs off a number of films, including Pirates of the Caribbean and ET.

The ad follows a teaser campaign shown earlier this week on social media in which Kevin baled out of a fighter jet with a burning parachute. He now teams up with Harry the Hedgehog for an adventurous journey home.

“We’re all thrilled to see Kevin back on our screens again, getting up to his usual tricks. Kevin’s popularity keeps on growing and this year, more so than any other, Kevin’s return to TV screens will come as a welcome relief for so many,” says Aldi UK marketing director Sean McGinty.

Kevin made his debut in Aldi’s 2016 Christmas ad and has grown in popularity since. In 2019, Marketing Week revealed Aldi’s ad, which that year feature a riff on the Peak Blinders but with Brussel sprouts, as the most effective Christmas campaign.

It was judged as the top-performing ad in six out of eight key measurement categories, according to exclusive data from Kantar. The ad outperformed ads from big budget rivals such as John Lewis.

Aldi is the second of the big grocery retailers to launch its Christmas campaign this year, following a price-led campaign from Asda. Marks & Spencer has also launched the campaign for its food business today, bringing back its ‘This is not just food’ activity with a festive twist.