Ebanana Scrooge and Marcus Radishford star in Aldi’s Christmas advert animated by Psyop

Kevin the Carrot is back! And he’s joined by a cast of animated fruit and veg in a reimagined festive favourite: A Christmas Carrot by Charles Chickens.

Date
11 November 2021

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Kevin the Carrot has returned. Tweeting “You didn’t really think I’d miss Christmas, did you?”, the iconic carrot who originally aired in 2016 is now joined by a whole cast of fruit and vegetables following his ban from TV, when one viewer found him to be promoting alcohol despite being a kid-friendly animation (yikes, talk about a Scrooge…).

Riff Raff and animation studio Psyop have turned the Dickensian Christmas story into a food-filled festivity for Aldi’s Christmas advert, which comes hot off the tails of the John Lewis ad, and the M&S ad which also stars animated characters. The tale, if you’re not already familiar with it – and in which case you should do so soon – follows Scrooge, now in banana form, as he rediscovers his love for Christmas through the help of some ghosts. Aldi’s tale is kitted out with all the recognisable favourites from Dickens’s tale, and the addition of a footballer.

Marcus Radishford, the footballer and campaigner Marcus Rashford in radish form which he voices, makes an appearance in order to home in on Aldi’s campaign to provide 1.8 million meals to families in need over the festive period. Created by McCann UK, the animation was animated by Todd Mueller, Kylie Matulick and Kyle Cassidy.

Rashford said that his family relied on the local food bank to get their Christmas dinner, “To this day, I remember queuing outside that building with mum; mum feeling embarrassed that she might be recognised. It is with that in mind that I’m delighted to lend my support to the Aldi campaign. For many children in situations like mine, growing up,” he continues, “there is very little expectation around this time of year; add the impact of the pandemic and the very least they deserve is a Christmas dinner.”

Dave Price, chief creative officer at McCann Manchester, humorously claims, “Now everyone knows Dickens ripped off Chickens about 20 years later, but few people know the original story. A humble carrot takes a rotten banana on a journey to find turkey, pudding and the true meaning of Christmas. This is Kevin The Carrot’s sixth adventure and we’re really hoping that he, along with this original Charles Chickens tale, will be everyone’s favourite this Christmas.” The ad will premiere on our televisions tonight at 7:15pm.

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McCann, Riff Raff, Psyop: A Christmas Carrot, Aldi Christmas Advert (Copyright © Aldi, 2021)

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About the Author

Dalia Al-Dujaili

Dalia is a freelance writer, producer and editor based in London. She’s currently the digital editor of Azeema, and the editor-in-chief of The Road to Nowhere Magazine. Previously, she was news writer at It’s Nice That, after graduating in English Literature from The University of Edinburgh.

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