ALDI has teased shoppers with a new trailer for its Christmas advert – but Kevin the Carrot is nowhere to be seen.
The beloved character has featured in the discounter’s Christmas campaign for the past seven years, and many fans are expecting his return for 2024.
But Kevin doesn’t appear in Aldi‘s teaser advert leaving some viewers worried he might have been given the chop.
The image, shared on Aldi’s social media channels, shows a billboard featuring a small fairy-like creature and the words “The Christmas Spirit is here”.
But a new billboard image put up since suggests that the Spirit of Christmas has been taken.
It shows the same advert with a giant hole where the creature was and the text on the board changed so it now reads: “The Christmas Spirit was here”.
The word “was” has been graffitied on and the word “is” scribbled out.
Aldi has also released spoof CCTV-type footage on its social media channels showing humbug characters apparently stealing the Spirit of Christmas.
Aldi is expected to release the full advert later this month, although it remains tight-lipped about the exact date.
The discounter has been teasing shoppers about its festive campaign, tweeting: “With Halloween nothing but a spooky memory, the Christmas Spirit has finally arrived.”
Aldi fans have rushed to comment on the image, with many of them asking about the whereabouts of Kevin.
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, one worried shopper asked: “But when is Kevin arriving?.”
Another added: “But where is KEVIN???”
On Facebook, one keen customer wrote: “Wait! Where’s Kevin?????”
But all might not be lost for Kevin fans, as Aldi replied to the fan saying: “Keep your eyes peeled!” alongside a carrot emoji.
Many shoppers also shared their excitement at potentially meeting a new festive character, describing the Christmas Spirit as “adorable” and “super cute”.
Last year, the discounter’s Christmas advert was Willy Wonka-themed.
In the advert, Kevin the Carrot visited William Conker’s magical Christmas factory.
The ad showed five lucky winners excitedly waiting to enter the magical Christmas factory.
Kevin embarked on his tour of the festive goodie-filled factory, encountering all sorts of mischievous characters on the way including dancing plumty-dumptys and a spoilt little sprout.
In 2022, the Christmas advert was a nod to the festive film Home Alone.
It followed the character Kevin battling burglars after being left alone when the rest of his family went abroad.
Aldi isn’t the only supermarket getting in on the Christmas action.
The star of Sainsbury’s Christmas advert is the The Big Friendly Giant (BFG), a loveable creature from Roald Dahl‘s children’s book.
The advert shows the Giant, and Sainsbury’s worker Sophie, setting off on a quest to make Christmas more “phiz whizzing” a word – which means amazing – that was made up by the author and used in the book and 2016 movie adaptation.
The Argos Christmas ad stars the retailers’ much-loved mascots, Connie the doll and Trevor the dinosaur.
The duo make their own Christmas dreams come true, with Trevor performing T-Rex’s classic hit 20th Century Boy to a huge crowd – with Connie watching on.
Meanwhile, the Debenhams campaign features an all-star cast –Elizabeth Hurley, Leomie Anderson, Ellie Taylor, and Hannah Cooper-Dommett – as they embrace the ease of online shopping.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.
