Aldeh to live forever in Oasis tribute

Aldi has confirmed that the rebranded ‘Aldeh’ sign at its Bury New Road store in Prestwich, Manchester, will remain in place following an outpouring of public support. 

The sign, which launched in June, is a nod to the Mancunian pronunciation of Aldi and a tribute to Oasis’ reunion tour. It was originally intended as a temporary fixture, due to be taken down after the final Manchester gig, however its cultural currency has led the supermarket to make it a permanent change.

The sign quickly became an unexpected tourist spot for fans pouring into the city. Oasis fanatics and locals alike began queueing for selfies, posts went viral, and a fan petition to make the sign permanent gathered over 1,300 signatures in under a week. 

The sign is now even listed on Google Maps as a cultural landmark, complete with glowing 5* reviews - with one visitor calling it ‘the Stonehenge of a generation’. 

The petition to keep the sign was launched by a Manchester local, Ella Curtis, who wrote: “What started as a nod to a special reunion, quickly took on a life of its own. The rebrand resonated with people across Manchester and beyond. Photos of the sign went viral, because it tapped into something meaningful: pride in where we’re from, and in what this city has given the world. In short, Prestwich got its own Blue Plaque.” 

The Prestwich store is a stone’s throw from Heaton Park, where Oasis played five sell-out shows this month. 

Liam Gallagher himself added to the buzz, sharing a picture of the sign on his Instagram story, whilst local Bury MP Christian Wakeford also voiced his support for the petition. 

Aldi previously teased fans on social media about making the sign permanent, posting: “Boss said we also need 10,000 likes and a comment from one of the Gallaghers”. Noel’s daughter, Anais, duly responded on TikTok, and with fans giving the Facebook post over 15,000 likes.

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer at Aldi UK, took to his LinkedIn to confirm the move: “In celebration of the Oasis reunion tour, Aldi UK renamed our store closest to Heaton Park, Manchester ‘Aldeh’. The response has been supersonic, with Oasis fans and proud Mancunians visiting the store to see it for themselves.”  

He continued: “Last week, a petition was launched by a local resident calling for us to keep the sign.  So naturally, we took to social media to see what our shoppers thought, turns out… people are mad for it and want the sign to stay. I’m pleased to announce that we’ll be keeping the Aldeh sign as a tribute to Manchester!”

It may well be the summer silly season, but when it comes to driving cultural currency the Oasis brand rush is serious business. By not taking itself too seriously, Aldi has successfully placed its brand at the heart of the cultural conversation and excitement surrounding the Oasis comeback tour.