Aldi has featured a character called Marcus Radishford in their latest Christmas advert and people think it is brilliant.
The advert is a play on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and features characters including “Ebanana” Scrooge who is shown the spirit of Christmas by Kevin the Carrot – a character who has appeared in the supermarket's festive ads for the last six years.
“Look, there’s Marcus Radishford, he’s always helping children,” the carrot says as it takes the banana on a tour.
“Merry Christmas, Kevin!” the radish – voiced by Rashford himself – replies.
Will Ebanana Scrooge discover his Christmas spirit?#AldiAmazingChristmas #KevinTheCarrot pic.twitter.com/obT5LpuSiu
— Aldi Stores UK (@AldiUK) November 10, 2021
It comes after the supermarket pledged to donate 1.8 million meals to families over the festive period.
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Meanwhile Rashford was awarded an MBE by the Duke of Cambridge this week for his campaign to support vulnerable children by challenging the government over free school meal vouchers during the coronavirus pandemic and forcing government U-turns on the matter.
At the end of the advert, just as in the end of the original book, Ebanana changes his ways and realises that it is important to be “kind” to find true happiness.
Posting on Twitter, people thought the ad was genius:
Marcus Radishford
— David (@Zero_4) November 10, 2021
My hero pic.twitter.com/MJcvf5GV0B
Love the fact that “Marcus Radishford is always helping children”
— nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) November 10, 2021
Well done @AldiUK & Well done @MarcusRashford https://t.co/e1tsrvm0Lj
MARCUS RADISHFORD 😭😭😭👏🏻 https://t.co/rh9ZJGraxB
— Sophie Morris (@itssophiemorris) November 10, 2021
Whoever came up with Marcus Radishford needs a raise https://t.co/X3bCdRp8gF
— William Chapple (@williamchapple1) November 10, 2021
Saw @MarcusRashford I mean Marcus Radishford outside my local @AldiUK yesterday 🤣 I’m hoping he’ll be a toy 🤞🏼😬 🔴⚪️⚫️ pic.twitter.com/CkO2FLfuky
— Gillian J (@TQfan) November 9, 2021
Well I ain’t one for Xmas adverts but it looks like Aldi have nailed it, there will be a lot of folks wanting a Marcus Radishford this year.
— VesaliusRex (@VesaliusRex) November 11, 2021
And Rashford – not Radishford – himself shared it on Twitter, and he seemed to be pleased with how it had turned out:
Well done @AldiUK. This is much bigger than a Christmas ad 👏🏾 might not be Oscar-worthy but glad I could play my part 😆 https://t.co/v288G1ET8r
— Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) November 10, 2021
He said about the advert: “As a family, we relied on the local food bank to get our Christmas dinner.
“To this day, I remember queuing outside that building with mum; mum feeling embarrassed that she might be recognised. It is with that in mind that I’m delighted to lend my support to the Aldi campaign,’ he added.
Meanwhile, Aldi UK marketing director Sean McGinty said: “Christmas is a time for hope, and we’re privileged to be working with Marcus, who is one of the most inspirational young people in the UK, having done so much in the past 18 months to help provide free school meals for children.
