MISTLETOE & 'WHINE'

Looking to transcend ‘Caterpillargate’ and the Christmas ‘Gin War’, we offered a mistletoe ‘Olive Branch’ of peace from Aldi to Marks & Spencer.

Unveiled a 10ft mistletoe branch, with an invitation to ‘kiss and make up’ between neighbouring M&S and Aldi Skegness stores.

Creating a stocking load of coverage and social love, at a key shopping period. Helping the discount supermarket have its best Christmas ever, and come out looking the bigger brand.

Following the summer’s Colin (M&S) vs Cuthbert (Aldi) ‘Caterpillargate’ in the build up to Christmas a second dispute was emerging, this time over their respective “similar” seasonal gin offerings.

Looking to establish Aldi’s ‘Ginnocence’, our brief was to create positive sentiment for the brand around the story, drive conversation and generate widespread coverage during the key December trading period.

Keeping Aldi front of mind to win the last big shop before Christmas.

For our strategy, we needn’t look any further than the (second) King of Christmas; Sir Cliff:

“A time for forgiving, and for forgetting Christmas is love, Christmas is peace

A time for hating and fighting to cease” From Mistletoe & Wine, by Sir Cliff Richard

Inspired by Cliff, we wanted to show that for Aldi, Christmas was all about forgiving, forgetting, love and peace. That no matter what had passed between the two brands, Aldi was willing to be the bigger brand and offer the proverbial olive branch...but being Christmas, in mistletoe form.

Audience: Regular Aldi customers, ensuring they continue to choose to do their shopping at Aldi. Attracting new customers, capitalising on shopper promiscuity during this time.

Introducing ‘Mistletoe & Whine...’

In the spirit of Christmas, we offered a mistletoe ‘Olive Branch’ of peace from Aldi to supermarket Marks and Spencer. Unveiling a 10ft mistletoe structure with an invitation to ‘kiss and make up’ between the neighbouring Aldi and M&S stores, in Skegness.

The gesture featured over 100 mistletoe branches, and an offer to join the team in neutral ground between the stores for a Christmas carol, and one of Aldi’s award-winning mince pies.

The idea was devised and created over a 48hr period, as the Glitter Globe Gin War began to emerge. Creating the structure and capturing all imagery to ensure assets were ready to go out to media whilst news of the second fall out (and subsequent legal case) was beginning to appear in the media.

The structure was built in darkness overnight, so as not to alert the M&S team. With the team capturing all of the imagery before the 8am store(s) opening times, so we didn’t impact the shopper experience (for either store).

The imagery was issued first across Aldi social channels to ensure Aldi’s loyal and loving fans got to see It before anyone else (and creating groundswell of support), before being issued out far and wide across news, consumer, broadcast and onlines (with press copy including social commentary and support for the activation and the brand).