We’re not even past the first week of November and already the Christmas adverts are coming to an ad break near you. We’ve seen Asda’s – so obscure you wouldn’t even know it was for a supermarket, and Iceland’s, which packs far less punch than last year’s controversial (and, as a result, banned) hook-up with Greenpeace.
Now it’s time for Aldi’s and, we have to admit, it’s a showstopper.
The headline news: Kevin the Carrot is back on our TV screens, three years after making his debut and having spent most of 2019 in the wilderness. The same Kevin the Carrot who swapped hands for more than £1,000 on eBay last year.
Turns out his cartoon counterpart was kidnapped by the Leafy Blinders – a gang of angry veg, led by none other than Russell Sprout – and they’re absolutely raging that Kevin and his family are stars of the Christmas show.
The 70-second film takes us on a rollercoaster of emotion as Kevin is tied up and held hostage by the sprout mob. One of them throws a tomato at him but, ‘Tiny Tom’ is on Kevin’s side.
The friendly tomato (and, we’re calling it now, the real star of the show) manages to jump onto the ropes and gnaw right through them, freeing up Kevin who dashes off to his Christmas gig.
The next thing we know, Kevin is dressed up to the nines in a top hat and tails, prancing about in a circus tent and singing Robbie Williams’ Let Me Entertain You – albeit a festive remix. Cue ALL of the foot tapping.
Katie and the kids (Kevin’s family) also make an appearance, while Russell Sprout tries to intervene once more and ends up being fired from a cannon. It all owes more than a little to The Greatest Showman, but honestly I haven’t seen this much drama play out since Wagatha Christie.
There’s action, silliness and you’ll be singing Robbie for the rest of the day. Consider the bar raised, M&S and John Lewis...
But for now, watch the rest of this year’s Christmas adverts below (and we’ll update the article as and when more are released.)