The Discounter of Cool

 

I wrote here about the first stage of ALDI's metamorphosis back in the early 2000s - as the dreary "pile it high and sell it cheap" discounter found first social acceptance, then positive social approval. There were several factors behind this, not least of all a well-timed in-your-face ad campaign that hit the spirit of the age bullseye. And, most interesting of all, the campaign wasn't from ALDI, but electronics discounter Saturn. 

ALDI's new ad campaign #ALDIstory takes up this theme, and does it pretty well in my view. It reflects how kids carrying their school stuff in ALDI carrier bags, or wearing ALDI jackets were mocked back in the 1990s by their classmates. But today, everyone shops at ALDI. 

The film touches on a further stage of metamorphosis - positive social approval to cult status amongst some groups. The people at the end of the film are wearing or carrying items from the ALDImania collection - ironic/streetwear branded items, from Christmas sweaters to sliders to retro-sneakers to hoodies. And a carrier bag or two.

ALDI has earned the right to do this as far as I'm concerned. Their communications approach has been pretty coherent since I've lived here. But other discounters haven't quite got it. You can be cool, but you can't buy cool.

Penny is one of the worst offenders for inconsistent, incoherent communication. One minute it's sanctimonious, depressing finger-pointing stuff about societal problems. 

Then we get this: 

Influencers giving a run-down Penny supermarket a makeover in their own style.

OK, OK, I know I'm not the target audience, and it's not quite as objectionable as the saving the world guff. But, come on - "Pimp my Penny"? Isn't that ghastly expression past its sell-by date?

And while we're on glamorous influencers, I'm not quite sure about ALDImania Barbie. Possibly a bit too much up its own cult? I do suspect these will be bought by kidults rather than parents, though.