How ALDI USA Is Shaking Up the Holiday Marketing Snow Globe

While many brands rely on saccharine sentimentality for their marketing pushes, ALDI USA’s holiday strategy is all about empowering its customers to create memorable moments without overspending.

“Our extensive consumer research reveals that while shoppers are increasingly budget-conscious during the holidays, they still deeply value meaningful celebrations,” says Katherine Sodeika, director of marketing at ALDI USA. “Guided by these insights, we crafted a heartfelt and relatable message that resonates emotionally. By leaning into nostalgia and joy – with a little help from Santa – we remind customers that ALDI is the ‘holiday unlocker’, delivering genuine savings that make holiday celebrations feel big and magical, even in tighter times.”

Created in partnership with agency Leo Chicago, the new campaign launching this week lives within the supermarket’s ‘It's an ALDI Thing’ platform and includes two hero spots directed by O Positive’s Brian Billow. 'Saving the Holiday Spirit', focused on ALDI’s value, shows Santa being saved from a rooftop tumble by an ALDI van. Meanwhile, the other film, 'Accidental Party', explores a Christmas freeze-frame, showcasing the brand’s breadth of seasonal products.

“It stays true to ALDI’s core voice, unapologetically doing everything possible to deliver quality products at unbeatable value,” says Rick Hamann, EVP, executive creative director at Leo Chicago. “Brian immediately understood the vision and the balance we were striving for between humour and holiday chaos. His comedic sensibility and ability to ground over-the-top moments in real emotion made him the perfect fit to bring this story to life.”

The social strategy for the campaign also diverges from typical approaches, with Leo Chicago creating trend-driven, fast-paced content native to each social platform, instead of doing cut-downs of the TV spots.

“For example, take the ‘Face on Paintings’ social work,” says Rick. “The trend plays with vintage illustrations that look like something out of an old holiday card or Hallmark movie, but then surprises you with a funny twist when the characters start talking. It’s familiar enough to stop your scroll, but unexpected enough to make you smile. That combination of nostalgia and humour fits the ALDI maverick tone perfectly, and it delivers the same message as the TV work in a way that feels completely native to social.”

For ALDI USA, the biggest challenge with this messaging is to strike the right balance between affordability and quality, as customers sometimes perceive lower prices as an indicator of lower quality, Katherine explains. “This year, integrating emotional storytelling with product highlights has helped overcome this challenge, reinforcing trust and demonstrating that saving money does not mean compromising on quality.”

Rick adds, “Balancing value and quality is always tricky, that’s why we were intentional about creating work that either leans into value and brand building, or that brings quality to life in a unique way. When it comes to the ALDI quality messaging work, we believe the best proof is in what people see. The product-focused spot shows how easily one thing leads to another when you shop at ALDI, while the visuals and product moments highlight the quality behind it all.”

Compared to last year, ALDI USA’s 2025 holiday campaign has taken a more narrative approach, centring around the more personal notion of ‘saving Christmas’, instead of the previous pricing and product-centric messaging. “This year we’ve integrated emotional storytelling to connect with consumers on a deeper level, all while still showcasing value,” says Katherine.

“The ‘saving Christmas’ concept instantly resonated with us because it captures the essence of what many families experience during the holidays: the desire to create joy despite budget constraints,” she adds, sharing that the brand pays “special attention” to shoppers feeling the economic pinch around this time of year.

“[We ensure] our messaging addresses their concerns with empathy and optimism. We want to invite everyone who wants to keep holiday traditions alive, showing them that ALDI is a partner in creating joyful, affordable celebrations.”

Through strategic partnerships and authentic marketing like ‘Saving the Holiday Spirit’, Katherine says that ALDI has, over the years, become synonymous with reliably savvy holiday shopping, cementing its title as “the holiday unlocker”.

“The economy’s tough, and it’s changing how everyone plans, shops and spends. But the holidays are different,” adds Rick. “It’s the one time of year when people still want to give a little more, do a little more and make it feel special -- no matter what’s happening around them. Even with tighter budgets, people always want to find a way to make the holidays happen. That’s what makes this moment so human and it’s where ALDI naturally fits in.

“We wanted to position ALDI as the solution because saving money isn’t just about having extra cash, it’s about what it lets you do: celebrate, connect, and make the season feel full.”

The new campaign launched on October 27th across TV, CTV, OLV, as well as social platforms including TikTok, Meta, Pinterest, YouTube Shorts and Snapchat, plus OOH activations.