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By Amy Houston, Senior Reporter

November 11, 2021 | 3 min read

Aldi has unveiled its highly-anticipated Christmas campaign ‘A Christmas Carrot’ which features England striker Marcus Rashford as a cheery radish, festive icon Kevin the Carrot and new nemesis Ebanana Scrooge.

Created by McCann UK, the ad is a charming take on Charles Dickens' ‘A Christmas Carol’, and follows the story of grumpy Ebanana Scrooge who is very much stuck in his ways. Viewers see him trudging through the snowy streets towards his home and shortly after falling asleep, he is abruptly woken by the Spirit of Christmas (Kevin the Carrot) who takes him on a journey through the wintry town to remind him of the true joy of the season.

A teaser for the ad was released last weekend and there was a public outcry on social media that Kevin may not be featured in the festivities this year. Aldi have not only included Kevin, but has also added to the gang as viewers get to meet Marcus Radishford, Tiny Tom and Peas and Goodwill.

As part of a seasonal campaign, there will be 1.8 million meals donated to families that need help across the UK over the festive period.

“As a family, we relied on the local food bank to get our Christmas dinner. To this day, I remember queuing outside that building with mum; mum feeling embarrassed that she might be recognized. It is with that in mind that I’m delighted to lend my support to the Aldi campaign,” said Marcus Rashford MBE

“For many children in situations like mine growing up, 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.”

This year will mark the sixth successive year that Aldi’s Christmas ad campaign has featured Kevin the Carrot, with last year’s ad campaign racking up over 5 million views online.

“It took nearly a year of searching in Monty Don’s library, to unearth this classic vegetable tale. A Christmas Carrot by Charles Chickens. Now everyone knows Dickens ripped off Chickens about 20 years later, but few people know the original story,” added Dave Price, chief creative officer at McCann Manchester, part of McCann UK.

“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 6th adventure and we’re really hoping that he, along with this original Charles Chickens tale, will be everyone’s favourite this Christmas.”

‘A Christmas Carrot’ TV ad will premiere on Thursday 11 November on ITV.

On the campaign and working with Rashford, Sean McGinty, marketing director at Aldi UK, said: "Christmas is a time for hope, and we’re privileged to be working with Marcus, who is one of the most inspirational young people in the UK, having done so much in the past 18 months to help provide free school meals for children."

Aldi: A Christmas Carrot by McCann UK

By Aldi

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