ALDI says it’s okay with shoppers seeing other supermarkets in ‘Shop ALDI First’ work via BMF
ALDI Australia has today launched its first new brand campaign for 2023, ‘Shop ALDI First’. The nationwide campaign, created with BMF, aims to reframe the role ALDI plays in shoppers’ weekly supermarket routines, positioning itself as the first shop for all Aussie’s grocery needs.
Says Jenny Melhuish, marketing director at ALDI Australia: “The new year is often a time for being more mindful and intentional in setting new routines. It makes sense to shop with ALDI first when a basket of groceries is considerably cheaper than at other supermarkets. Post-Christmas and holiday spending, we think Australians should rethink their habits to easily save themselves serious cash.
“We know consumer shopping habits are such that few people only shop at one place. You might have a particular bakery that you get a croissant from in the mornings, or you might need smoked herring paste for a very specific recipe. But true savings are made when you make ALDI your first shop. It’s about creating new habits in 2023, that we are sure will save Australians cold, hard-earned, cash.”
The campaign launches alongside new research revealing that almost half of Aussies (45%) chose their supermarket based on their parents’ brand of choice despite the savings they may be missing out on elsewhere. More than three quarters of Australians (78%) have changed their grocery shopping habits in the last twelve months, and one in five (21%) are considering changing where they shop to save money in the next year.
The campaign launches across a range of media channels, including TV, BVOD, OLV, OOH, print, radio, digital, and social. The campaign reinforces ALDI’s commitment to providing the highest quality products at unbeatable prices, and encourages shoppers to experience the benefits of starting their weekly shopping at ALDI.
Client: ALDI Australia
Creative Agency: BMF
Production Company: FINCH
Director: Christopher Riggert
Post Production: Blockhead
Editor: The Editors
Sound Production: Rumble Studios
Music: Elliott Wheeler
DOP: Jeremy Rouse
Photography: Louis&Co
PR: Ogilvy PR
Media: Zenith
119 Comments
Gosh they are good
Dear Aldi Marketing Department
Firstly may I say, I am an ardent Aldi customer Every month jI buy my monthly staples and supplement weekly with fruit vegegetables and dairy or bacon for my B&B business. I enjoy being a patron of your Good Different.
HOWEVER. As one who rarely watches commercial TV, I was surprised, confused and perplexed as your recent commercial implies that your supermarket buildings tend to leak either in heavy downpours or, the building’s sprinkler systems have over-empathy for each hard-to-make-ends-meet customer who reaches the checkout with a long face.
Rarely has any checkout operator expressed any form of compassion let alone a ‘we love you’ for MY meagre shopping list as I spend btn 2 and 300 dollars in the monthly shop or up to $70-$100 on the perishable mid-monthly. top up.
Neither do I think it ethical, after handing me my receipt after payment, implies that I go and help myself to another item without paying for it because “You deserve it”.
This is definitely Gruen material!! Please explain …
Keep up the great corporate concept, get some one else to rewrite your advertising you failed on this one.
No compassion lost here!
This ad is a huge failure. During present times when there is so much doom and gloom about everyday living, this just adds to the gloom. We really don’t need that. Previous ads for Aldi were up lifting.
Why is it raining?
Whats the deal on this ad! Rather depressing🥸
Stupid ad. Can’t relate raining indoors to shopping. Actors seem depressed.
There was a famous movie (the name of which now escapes me) and the ending is used here, also used by endless comedies.
Stupid adv. don’t understand what it’s supposed to convey except that it’s pouring rain inside a depressing-looking aldi store. Totally agree – get a new ad company.
The adds turn me off and why spend money on extra fuel when I have to go to another store to get what I like and want.
The most stupid ad in all times. Evrytime I hear it starting, I switch the channels. It put me off from going to Aldi anymore. Seriously, it’s an absolute failure. Shame on you!
Going by all the comments the advert is successful in gaining audience observation.
If Aldi replaced all the junk in the centre isles with supermarket items you wouldn’t need to go elsewhere for the smoked herring paste
Strategy and execution both great
I’m perplexed, can you elaborate on the strategy for this rainy ad? What is the point of the rain?
Aldi know they don’t stock every obscure item a person could want but they want you to buy the bulk of your shopping with them first. The loyal customer feels she is being unfaithful to aldi and she is feeling upset and distressed. But aldi says it’s ok to shop elsewhere second.
Smart, funny, memorable.
in every sense.
Genuinely excellent
Cracker. Love it.
This is so good!
I can’t understand half what they say and it took me weeks to realise it was an Aldi ad as I listen more then watch the TV. It’s so confusing and depressing and certainly wouldn’t make me chose to shop there first.
👍
Is she supposed to be his mother?
Every client, take notice.
This is a brand that knows who it is, leans into it, and just lets the agency bring it to life. (And has a hell of a lot of fun while they’re at it.)
Hats off, BMF.
This is how you make ads, well done everyone involved.
Simple brand truth let’s the execution shine (in the the rain)
Thought it was stupid, I am continuously amazed at what people are paid(usually a lot) for writing
I watch this crazy ad. Sorry what has herring pate and rain got to do with Aldi. Am I missing something
I wondered the same. I think it’s Aldi giving the lady permission to get the shrimp paste from another supermarket chain because their new campaign is shop Aldi first. She was able to get everything off her list in Aldi except the shrimp. I don’t get the rain. The dialogue before she leaves Aldi is just strange to me.
Oh you people! I just love this ad. You don’t have any romantic bones in your body. Have you never seen an old movie where she says ” You’ll always be my first love”
That’s what she wanted to say but it was inappropriate so she said “shop”. They were both struggling with emotion and a play on words. Get a life and lighten up people.
I agree it’s stupid. The sentiment of shopping there first and getting big brand name favourites later.. yay well done.
But the rain. Indoors. STUPID. I’m not dumb i appreciate and collect art but this? The ‘meaning’ is lost in the above message and nothing ro do with it that I can see.
Why raining what’s the reason behind this?
Yes why the rain???
A brand driven by insights not pith statements. Well played.
Agree with wheels.
Initially this Aldi smoked herring paste ad looks to me like the checkout guy is telling the customer to ‘Go get the herring paste’ (and you don’t have to pay for it) because she seems to not be able to afford it (considering the rain and sad face of the customer).
The ad is far from clear on first impression or understanding and looks like the employees of Aldi are a bit dodgy. Definitely not clear saying that it’s okay to shop somewhere else if they don’t have everything on our list.
Personally, I think the ad is really quite terribly written and not one that I enjoy seeing. Certainly doesn’t make me want to shop there.
Way too morbid.
Does any agency Astroturf more or better than this agency?
Reminds me of this campaign https://tinyurl.com/mrxaevzb
Top shelf! Congrats to everyone involved.
…coz i’m kinda confused by the rain. anyone care to enlighten me?
(aside from that I love that the idea is a real actual truth)
Just this.
I think it has something to do with the ‘love story’ aspect and using references like The Notebook 🙂
I agree GD, I thought of the Notebook too!
It’s Definitely tapping into the Notebook movie where they’re on the lake when it starts pouring with rain! First thing I thought of when I watched the ad…love me an aldi ad!!
Got me beat too because I can’t understand what Aldi man says first. It might be because some have under cover parking when raining??? Very confusing actually.
Man, advertising can be simple and effective. Bring a relevant insight to life in a creatively engaging way. Nice work.
Brooo this is actually so good! I love brands that aren’t afraid to lean into their perceived flaws.
Love this welldone
Good idea in theory, nicely crafted. But i miss the more whimsical, kooky surreal and fun aldi ads of the past. The last few are decent but feel too serious, too emo (even if part of the concept) and taking themselves way too seriously. I wonder if this ad and the last one by the same Director are ads made for ad directors and creatives, rather than for the consumers?
Love it, great marketing. 🙂
The store customer is in says Other Supermarket so she is not in Aldi store
I am also confused by the rain,which I would’ve been too embarrassed to admit,if the original Moron hadn’t bought it up.
Have to confess I am not a creative which might have something to do with it.
Pathetic ad, I change the Chanel when it comes on. Ad people might think it’s genius but they miss the point with their customers…oh that’s right it’s supposed to appeal to us…fail!
“I know i work at another agency……but”. …..G.E.N.I.U.S
Why is it raining in the store?
Why all the pearls? Why all the hair? Why anything?
I find it mildly okay, bit like BMF.
Saying goodbye to your love, in the rain. But you don’t notice the rain because your passion for one another burns too strong. You lot should try and watch a movie.
We’re probably not watching the same B grade 80’s Hollywood rom coms that you are?
That’s a stretch
In a supermarket? Over food? More than a stretch totally missed the mark for the people it was aimed at, the client.
Cool, sexy and fun. Love it.
Classic comedy, great execution. The rain is to add drama to something that is obviously not dramatic, hence is funny.
I like the concept and it’s wonderful that a brand can know themselves this well, and be honest with their customers.
One gripe: the sound mix is a bit off, the music and rain muffles the dialogue, so it’s actually hard to pick up what’s being said. I feel like without that issue, this ad would be a 10/10.
The obvious marketing people comments think its great
the common man thinks its just stupid
I love myself and will defend any negative comment with an equally positive comment straight after.
Let the work talk for itself people.
Rain in the store is really the best thing about this.
But like some of bear meets eagle on fire’s recent work, is a visual idea similar to the work of Quentin Dupieux. This one particularly from the film ‘Wrong’.
But did she have to say “…shop” at the end? Didn’t make it funnier so much as explain the joke
The dumbness of some of these comments makes it clear why it’s so easy for BMF to stand out consistently.
Great agency competing with a bunch of muppets who’s never seen rain in a romance.
What does rain have to do with romance? It’s a rubbish ad and certainly doesn’t endear me to Aldi or the ridiculous ad agencies who think this is quirky
sooo good
It’s a pity that Aldi doesn’t caption their ads for the speech/hearing disabled. I have no idea what the ad is about. They also put photos of raw red meat on the screen, without even a word to say what meat it is … beef, lamb, horsemeat, kangaroo?? Now, there’s an ad with a Neptune’s trident, slicing a white meat-looking roast .. chicken? Fish? Pork? I have no idea, not even a single word on screen, or closed captions. The other “majors” caption their ads. You’d think an advertising agency would know better? And, you’d think a merchant would care more.
So good. True insight. Great execution. Client that gets it. Another banger. Nice one BMF.
But why are there a group of people who think this is grest when its actually awful. What are we missing? and why the rain in the store?
When a Ad is based on consumer insight! Brilliant strategy and execution.
Broom broom
Says boom over loudspeaker
Emily & Kiah are on fiah.
If you don’t know why it’s raining, you don’t belong in this industry.
The rain is weird and the whole ad is depressing.
@Let’s be very clear
Strong agree.
This went over my head too and like Sandi, I need subtitles, being elderly and a bit deaf.
I went online to get enlightened but am called names here! How rude!
I thought it might be an homage to a weepy movie.
I shop at Aldi sometimes and enjoy their ads, having been involved with TV ads at one time.
Neither a Muppet nor Moron…a Consumer.
Good. But falls flat. Smoked herring paste? The only place you likely could get that is Aldi. Perhaps only a Special Buy – that said, who even buys this, very rogue. Insert branded item, or a shortcoming – like roast chook?
The amount of debate they would have had on that grocery list, and they goofed it.
Really don’t understand why it is raining inside the shop. Aldi’s ads always seem to have me asking “what do they mean”. Doesn’t make me want to shop there.
I think it’s strange
The only reason why Aldi ads stand out is because the vast majority of client approved scripts in this country are rubbish, with little or no creative content involved.
Clients need to stop speaking to themselves, have some fun and engage their customers. Time for big brands and small ones to start investing in their brand instead of filling the airwaves with wallpaper.
Is this the strangest ad on tv? Enough turn me off shopping at aldi
Not the strangest at all, just a bit weird.
I don’t like theft endorsement ads, where someone steals food.
Excepting one I saw on UK TV with a famous footballer which was funny and won an award.
Did not understand it at first but why the rain?
I like this ad a lot for its market insight and approach….but I can see why some people here, seemingly average customers, might not get why it’s raining. I don’t think the joke is perfectly set up. Probably due to lack of time. It comes too early and before any other sense of romance or melodrama is established. The casting isn’t pushed that way either.
@Melbourne Creative
Ok … so those of us who don’t get why it’s raining are “seemingly average customers” are we? That’s the pretentious kind of comment usually directed at philistines who don’t get a particular piece of modern “art”. No matter how the add “is set up”, if it deters potential customers (as evidenced by the many negative comments) then surely it has failed, no matter how many plaudits it receives for its creativity from those in the industry?
Well said. I find the rain a gloom a great turn off. Why would I want to go there when it looks so miserable. Although I get what they are saying, the ad is a big fail IMO.
Don’t know why people are praising this ad for. Sorry, average middle aged male, what is the deal with the rain. I asked my wife and she has no idea either.
I am finding it difficult to find the logic or message in this advert. I’m trying to 🤔work out who the message is aimed at……certainly not the average Aldi shopper. 🤷🏻♂️
I love this New commercial with the rain in instore and the empathy from the male shop attendant. Made me laugh and also very memorable. Well done
Worst adds ever!
Will never shop there..
Made me laff. Top shelf
There are a few disparaging remarks about those of us who have no idea what the ad is trying to say so could one of you with your superior intelligence please explain it in words of one syllable so us less fortunate can understand it. I have read through all the comments and while there are a few of you who obviously get in no one has explained it so that us lesser mortals can be enlightened
This is obviously an ad which appeals to those in the advertising industry. I got to this site through googling “what is the significance of the rain in the Aldi ad?” Seriously it’s an ad not art and not entertaining. If someone has to ask what’s the meaning of an ad, then it had missed the mark. Discussing the ad recently with friends we agreed it had no impact on our desire to shop at Aldi.
Love this new campaign – this ad is so quirky! There hasn’t been a bad Aldi ad yet. Refreshingly different from the rest of the majors.
I love this ad, but disappointed they have
removed from the ad her saying ‘you were
my first SHOP’
If you’ve ever had a love affair then you will
relate to this ad…of course she is divorcing
Woolies and going with the new love of her life ALDI, mine too’, remember the song McArthur Park….same story…maybe
I’m just a romantic at heart…
This advert is not good for attracting customers. I feel like the positive comments are from the agency who created the ad trying to defend it and the wtf comments are from actual customers. I personally love aldi but don’t want to go to a wet, cold, miserable store.
Who are the actors in the aldi smoked herring paste add
Iam with the many others. Totally dumbfounded by the rain in store ad. It’s a horrible ad. So weird I googled what the significance of indoor rain was all about. Strange and depressing
*Before reading this please refer to Liz’s comment*
Dear Elizabeth,
With all due respect, this advertisement is incredibly emotionally charging and it has classical elements of the cinematic genre, film noir. This advert portrays elements that you may never emotionally comprehend or see the fruit of the blossom. The rain in this thoughtful production dose not mean the store is leaking, but instead it touches on the classic film aspect of heightening drama and a sense of foreboding, symbolising human tears, in this case the consumer/shopper has the difficult decision of having to go to a direct competitor of ALDI in order to attempt to find fulfilment of her shopping list. This advertisement touches on aspects of romance, when referring to the shopper having to “cheat” on her main love interest ALDI, ALDI understands that she has to go to her other lover (other supermarkets) (which makes ALDI unique and understanding) the shopper must cheat in order to receive what she needs in life (the pâté ), this ad once again touches on the cinematic aspect of forbidden lovers (the shopper cannot get everything she needs with ALDI and she must go else where), this is seen in many classic plays such as ‘Romeo And Juliet’ because you do not quite grasp the concept of cinematic master pieces this play was written by William Shakespeare an outstanding poet in his time. Once again, ALDI reiterates that they understand that they do not have everything needed to for fill the consumers shopping needs but what ALDI can do, unlike other supermarkets, they can provide the shopper with affordable products. Now, I’m sure you understand that the ALDI marketing team are absolutely genius, do NOT disrespect them, they are more creative than you will ever be, Elizabeth.
While Elizabeth’s comment was somewhat blunt, your final comment regarding her creative skills is unwarranted.
But it seems to me that if you need to come to this website, or if you need to watch the episode of Gruen where the ad was explained, then the ad has not succeeded.
The dialogue is ambiguous and/or unclear, as is the reason for the rain. So is the ad intended to attract new customers or is it intended to entertain romantic movie aficionados and people in the advertising industry?
Not since that precocious brat danced around the kitchen while the plumbing malfunctioned have I been so irritated by an ad that should be for an insurance company rather than whatever it’s actually for.
This ad makes me laugh every time I see it. The message is simple, we don’t stock everything but shop here first. The rain and pain of leaving your first love is done with such dark humour. Love it!! Good to see an ad that’s memorable.
An “interistingly” senseless ad that polarises viewers. I think that this is the purpose of the advertisement… to get people talking.
I’m sorry I just don’t get the meaning of the rain and inside the shop ? Everyone looking bedraggled and morbid. It’s just not pleasant nor inspiring.
Who thought up this advert. !?!?!
What’s more why would you have a store give permission to shop elsewhere?. A most ridiculous, stupid advert and it just keeps on being aired. Everytime the ad comes onI change the channel or walk away.
Aldi, cut your MKT campaign and present something worth watching.
One of worst ads on TV.
Its been on for a while now and I still don’t know what they say.
I think it means our roof is leaking don’t be sad.
Seeing as it makes no sense its the perfect opportunity to walk away and do something else until it’s over.
Still doesn’t explain the rain inside the shop!!!!
My partner and I have been debating the Aldi add where it is raining. My take on the rain is that the add is a take on the classic movie, ‘The Notebook.’
The scene where they are on the lake and it starts raining…….. the check out guy looks a bit like Ryan Gosling……??😂😂😎👍……. the lady is a typical middle aged housewife who wishes the checkout guy was Ryan Gosling!!!!
My partner says, no way!!!!
Has anyone transcribed the items on the list? I am interested but can’t be bothered.
Yay….you get it. Tell your partner you are right!
I love this ad but who is the shop assistant…I am a dyed in the wool Aldi shop with no changes..thank u Aldi
I was at my local Aldi where I shop first and told the checkout operator that I was thrilled that my store didn’t rain inside. I have also used the expression to my local convenience store informing them that they will always be my first.
In fact it took me awhile to work it out but I have had fun with and I think you achieve what you wanted but I don’t think if you do another ad like that Aldi will be the last shop instead of the first.
The latest Xmas ad makes me sick. It comes on when I’m eating Dinner and I can’t look at it. Makes me want to shop elsewhere really. Please have your ads done by another company 🤪
I always thought it was an obscure/fun/weird reference to the closing scenes of Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Solaris”. I assume the director has ambitions way beyond mere adverts.
These actors are so well cast… no one too fancy, just ordinary Joes. As these two are the stars of your ad, why don’t they get a credit?? This dismays me because pulling off that farcical sentiment by playing it totally straight requires very good acting skills. Neither over-acted. And who was the copywriter? Again, no credit. This sucks! The agency and DOP get all the credit . Not fair. But congrats on keeping up the quirkiness and keeping on surprising and amusing us. I love this ad!!