Aldi has dropped the first teaser for its 2022 Christmas advert, and let's just say it's puntastic. And yes, Kevin the Carrot is back. Check it out:
The supermarket giant is known for its legendary festive ads, and it looks like this year is no different.
In the latest edition, Aldi is going with a football theme thanks to the upcoming World Cup taking place in the winter months.
Advert
Everyone's festive fave Kevin the Carrot starts off a little concerned that the footy tournament is being held in December, telling his pals: "That's going to get right in the way of Christmas."
But his worry soon turns to excitement when he sees Ronaldi - Cristiano Ronaldo in the form of a lemon - who says 'let's do this' in Portuguese.
The clip then launches into a nod to Nike's iconic 1998 World Cup advert in which Brazil's footballing squad have a kick around at an airport.
In the retailer's twist, a number of famous players have been reimagined as food, including Lionel Messi as Messy the blueberry, Kylian Mbappé as MmmBap (a bap, of course) and Wayne Rooney as Macarooney.
In the last scene, we see Diego Maradona as Marrowdona the marrow as he passes the ball back to Kevin, who misses the score and his plane.
He watches on in dismay as the team take off from the airport before the teaser finishes, telling us there's going to be more to this story in the coming weeks.
Aldi ended its Nike tribute by saying: "Christmas. Let's do it."
Dozens of people have praised the teaser, with one writing on Instagram: "Aldi wins every year!"
Another said: "Can’t wait for more instalments and I really hope that there’s a Harry & Marv plush in there somewhere!"
"Omg your Christmas ads are the absolute best ones ever," added a third. "Always full of fun and just what I want to see in a Christmas ad... Loving Macarooney."
Others have speculated what's to follow, including one who wondered whether Kevin and his family will spend 'time in the house alone' to put up the Christmas decorations.
This would echo the 2020 ad, which incorporated themes from Home Alone and Pirates of the Caribbean as the famed carrot made his way back to his kids with the help of a friendly hedgehog.
The World Cup runs from 20 November to 18 December this year, having been moved to winter due to the soaring temperatures in the host country Qatar.
FIFA had originally planned for the games to kick off on 21 November, with Senegal playing against the Netherlands.
However, it's often tradition for the host country to play the first match, and so the date was moved forward in order to make this happen.
Due to the time difference, it means England fans will have to get to the pub pretty damn early to avoid missing out on key fixtures.
But knowing British footy fans, this shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Daisy Phillipson