Aldi UK’s Kevin the Carrot is getting into the holiday spirit this year faster than any other brand mascot… ever, possibly. This month, two new commercials for Aldi UK’s holiday season have been released by ad agency McCann UK. Both went live on YouTube five days apart from one another. They’re also blockbusters in their own right, debuting in 40 second and one-minute lengths.
Kevin becomes an action hero in the first, and pays tribute to Coca-Cola. He’s adventurous, and a bit Tim Burton-esque, in the second spot as he squares off against a wicked parsnip. Let’s take a closer look at what’s going on in both commercials.
“A Christmas Cliff Hanger”
Can you #SaveKevin? The first advert kicks off with a cheeky nod to Coca-Cola’s classic “Always Coca-Cola” commercials. Kevin is the driver of an enormous truck. Tying in with the original Coca-Cola ads, the vehicle is red, lit up with lights, and speeding through a snowy landscape. Kevin even has his likeness painted on the truck’s back, borrowing a (loose) page from Haddon Sundblom’s Santa Claus illustrations.
Kevin’s legs can’t touch the pedals. I’m pretty sure his arms aren’t long enough to go around a steering wheel, either. Somehow, Kevin makes the drive work — perhaps with a bit of Christmas magic. Or, maybe it’s that charming jingle in the background.
Suddenly, an unexpected snowfall causes Kevin’s truck to skid off the road. Caught in the balance, the carrot hangs on to the wheel as everything slows to a pause. The truck dangles off the edge of a cliff, along with Kevin. Any movements and the whole rig could topple into the winter abyss.
There’s only thing Kevin can do.
“Help,” he meekly mumbles.
Aldi UK uses this fade to black moment to encourage fans to follow the #SaveKevin hashtag. They’ll be able to find out where Kevin’s fate takes him next. Coca-Cola’s Great Britain Twitter account has also tweeted to help Kevin the Carrot with towing services, too.
Kevin the Carrot and the Wicked Parsnip
Kevin must have taken Coca-Cola up on their offer out of his jam. The next advert takes us to a dark Christmas night narrated by actor Jim Broadbent.
We meet Pascal, described as a “rotten old parsnip.” He resides in a vast castle and is described as “the root of all evil” with a hatred for carrots. Anyone frightened about the drastic change in the commercial’s tone needs only to listen to the background music. It’s Danny Elfman’s score from Edward Scissorhands, lending a much-needed melancholy feeling to the ad. We do worry for Kevin the Carrot’s family, locked up by Pascal in a small cage. However, there’s less of a likelihood that they will be snipped to pieces because Kevin the Carrot will save the day in the next 60 seconds. Erm, right?
Kevin isn’t about to let himself, or his fellow veggies, roast. He sprints, dodges, and leaps to new heights to defeat Pascal. Kevin and his family even have a ride waiting for them outside — it’s Santa!
I suppose Christmas magic is real, after all. That, or Coca-Cola sent over an additional sleigh from the team. They probably knew a carrot wandering around in a castle is in over his root, I mean, head. Happy holidays!
