Inside Aldi and M&S’ feud – cheeky swipes in full as Kevin the Carrot returns

Aldi has never avoided conflict, facing off against M&amp, S and their well-known Kevin the Carrot at the more expensive retailer. The most recent Christmas advertisement from Aldi features the cartoon vegetable attempting to save the spirit of Christmas from a group of evil demons known as “humbugs.”

Some Aldi fans have joked the retailer could be referring to their long-standing rivals, M&amp, S, as the ‘ humbugs ‘ in the ad. Since 2021, the two companies have been at odds with one another, with a number of legal disputes and clever social media responses playing a part in the dispute.

We examine the instances where the retailers got into a fight and how Aldi responded with clever rants at the company.

Caterpillar Cake Conflict: Colin vs Cuthbert

Colin, a well-known caterpillar, is the ancestor of the legal saga between M&amp, S, and Aldi. Millions of Brits choose the chocolate-based treat to celebrate birthdays and other occasions, and M&amp, S’ Colin the Caterpillar cake is a household name in the UK.

But as Aldi does best, the cheaper retailer created a so-called ‘ dupe ‘ for Colin, named Cuthbert the Caterpillar. In a lawsuit filed in 2021, M&amp, S claimed Colin’s beloved cake violated his intellectual property rights.

M&amp, S argued that Aldi had copied the design, and even went as far as to trademark Colin’s face, colors, and specific appearance. Aldi responded with a mix of legal rebuttals and social media humour, even launching a “#FreeCuthbert” campaign on X.

They gained the public’s support for their lighthearted response, which showed that the lawsuit was an overreach by a high-end retailer against a discount chain. After months of social media posts, memes, and even collaborative fundraisers, the two retailers eventually reached a confidential agreement, though the caterpillar cake dispute has left a lasting impression.

Lookalike Gin Bottles

Unfortunately, the caterpillar cake wasn’t the end of the dispute between M&amp, S and Aldi. In 2022, the retailers again exchanged gin, this time over gin.

M&amp, S claimed Aldi copied the light-up gin bottles’ packaging, which M&amp, S introduced as a festive product with embedded lights and glistening liquid resembling a Christmas snowglobe. M&amp, S argued that Aldi’s gin bore a striking resemblance to theirs, from the decorative details to the bottle shape and design.

Aldi insisted their products were not infringing. M&amp, S eventually agreed to an undisclosed settlement, allowing Aldi to continue selling its bottles.

Aldi’s Christmas ad

Customers were quick to notice a nod to the drama in the clip’s festive scenes when Aldi’s 2022 Christmas advertisement appeared to mock their first legal saga with M&amp, S. Eagle-eyed shoppers were hysterics. Kevin the Carrot chooses to watch a football game while he is at home alone.

With the teaser for the advertisement resembling the iconic 1998 Nike World Cup Advert, viewers might be forgiven for thinking Kevin might be watching a game from the upcoming World Cup. But when people got a glimpse of Kevin’s TV screen, they realised he was watching something quite different. Instead, the carrot was enjoying a match between teams ‘ Cuth ‘ and ‘ Col’, with Cuth winning 1-0.

In response, social media users were quick to praise the cheeky detail, which delighted many. Having spotted the names, one commenter asked: “Hang on is that Cuthburt v Colin”? adding a laughing emoji, and another replied: “OMG – yes it is!! Totally missed that”.

Someone else thought the move was “brilliant”, and another fan wrote: “Aldi’s Cuthbert 1, (I’m assuming M&amp, S) Colin 0!!! Genius”!

M&amp, S ‘ ad – with Aldi wine

In April, M&amp, S made a big mistake by attempting to create a furniture advertisement for Aldi. A bottle of Specially Selected Côtes De Provence Blanc, which Aldi sold, was placed in the middle of the £699 furniture set, along with glasses and some nibbles, for the M&amp, S gaffe.

By putting a screenshot of the garden table advertisement on X, Aldi highlighted the embarrassing marketing error, saying, “Drink Aldi wine pass it on.” The wine, which sells for £7.49 at Aldi, is currently out of stock as shoppers flew to their website to have taste.

Since Tuesday morning when the clever social media post was posted, X has received over 14 000 likes and 1.2 million views.

Source: Mirror