Aldi's Kevin the Carrot Goes Full Wonka for Christmas

Willy Wonka-esque weirdness and wordplay work overtime in Aldi’s splashy Christmas :90 that drops today.

The brand’s iconic Kevin the Carrot returns in a holiday-themed send-up of Roald Dahl’s children’s classic about a fanciful chocolate factory. Here, however, the vibe is all about Christmas, presided over by William Conker.

There’s no sign of Oompa-Loompas, Augustus Gloop or Veruca Salt. (The latter would’ve fit into the foodie context, actually.) But a Spoilt Little Sprout and Plumpty-Dumptys are on hand.

True to the source material, the cast of animated fruits and veggies act selfishly. Except for one noble orange guy who steps into the Charlie Bucket role.

“Only Kevin the Carrot clearly understood the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of being good,” the ad explains.

In the end Kev receives … the cheese to the factory. And he vows to share his good fortune with everyone. (After all, who’d want a rotten carrot?)

“It wouldn’t be the festive season without Kevin the Carrot on our TV screens,” says brand marketing director Jemma Townsend. “We know our shoppers will love seeing him getting into the Christmas spirit as we welcome him back for his eighth year with us.”

McCann U.K. crafted the campaign, which feels a tad busy but works anyway. It closely follows the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ethos—a wise move—and Kev always rocks the holiday table in Aldi’s much-loved yuletide parodies.