Kevin the Carrot Soars in Aldi's Year-End Extravaganza

Who needs a sleigh when you've got a bicycle that flies?

Hollywood references abound in Aldi's year-end extravaganza featuring the seasonal return of Kevin the Carrot.

Created by McCann U.K. and Psyop directors Todd Mueller and Kylie Matulick, the 90-second animated spot finds the hero vegetable trekking home to his family one snowy Christmas with help from new pals Harry the Hedgehog and Santa Claus:

Oscar winner Jim Broadbent plays Father Christmas, peddling an airborne bike, ET-style, to save the day. (Guess the reindeer were too pooped after delivering gifts to make one more flight.)

Along with the visual nods to famous films, themes from Home Alone and Pirates of the Caribbean play on the soundtrack.

The 90-second spot broke on Friday, following a Top Gun-inspired teaser with Kevin ejected from a jet by his turkey co-pilot:

This marks courageous carrot's fifth holiday outing for Aldi, following last year's uber-popular installment with the root vegetable turning the tables on a rogue gang of sprouts.

"We always challenge ourselves to improve on the previous year's campaign," says McCann creative chief Dave Price. "Kevin has been a huge success since 2016, which adds pressure to ensure we do him justice and push the idea. This year more than ever that has been challenging for everyone, so hitting the correct tone was more important than ever."

"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," adds Aldi U.K. marking director Sean McGinty.

Indeed, this year's campaign harkens back to simpler times, and teases better days to come, by invoking beloved pop-culture tropes.

Moreover, Kevin's adventures, along with the other vaunted Christmas ads from big-name U.K. brands, fill the same niche Rankin/Bass holiday specials occupied a few generations ago. They serve as annual beacons of branded merriment, eagerly anticipated cultural stock-stuffers in their own right.

CREDITS

Client Company: Aldi UK
Client Name and Job Title: Sean McGinty, Marketing Director and Ian Lewis, Marketing Manager at Aldi UK
Creative Agency: McCann UK
Chief Creative Officer: Dave Price
Creative Director: Neil Lancaster
Creative Team: Clive Davis and Andy Fenton
Planning Director: Jamie Peate
Managing Director: Simon Buchanan
Managing Partner: Laura McKinlay
Agency Producers: Lucy Moore, Melissa Bennett and Amy Mayers
Production Company: Stink
Post-production: Psyop - Directors: Todd Mueller and Kylie Matulick
Editor: John Mayes (Marshall Street Editors)
Audio: Parv Thind (Wave)
Music: SixtyFour Music
Media Planning and Buying Agency: UM Manchester