Lidl's holiday ad sidelines the schmaltz to make fun of rivals (including Kevin the Carrot)

If you're already fed up with the heartwarming holiday schmaltz, here's one ad that might appeal to the cynic in you. The U.K. spot, from discount grocer Lidl, satirizes some of its fellow retailers' campaigns as it firmly focuses on low prices. It starts out like your typical animated feel-good tale, with a sentimental song and a cartoon robin appearing on a little girl's window sill in the snow. "Could a friendship be ahead?" warbles the singer, before bringing us back down to earth with the words "Nope...it's a Christmas ad from Lidl with great prices instead." The song goes on to pay tribute to "emotional gravy" and point out that Dad is wearing "a jumper with our logo on it" as we see the animated family sit down to a Christmas dinner. And there's a sly dig at rival discounter Aldi and its Kevin the Carrot campaign; "We don't need cutesy characters when carrots taste this good," trills the singer as someone spears a carrot with a face on it. It also pokes fun at the manipulative moment where "we want you to feel sad," to which, having bawled our way through McDonald's offering this year, we can definitely relate. The ad, created by Karmarama and directed by Joseph Mann via Blinkink, features witty copywriting and nails the Disney-fied nature of the typical Christmas ad song. Even if you're a hardcore fan of the syrupy seasonal spot , it should raise a smile while standing out in a sea of similar offerings.

Lidl's holiday ad sidelines the schmaltz to make fun of rivals (including Kevin the Carrot)

Featured Stories