Marketing Insight

Aldi is no stranger to toeing a thin line between the branding of its own products vs. those of other household names as part of its ‘Like Brands, Only Cheaper’ platform. You couldn’t be blamed for looking down the confectionary aisle and getting easily confused between a ‘Racer’ and a ‘Snickers’ bar.

Its challenger brand image appeals to most working families in the UK and beyond, with a growing percentage of young adults doing their weekly shop at Aldi. Using its position in the market, Aldi has taken the strategy of challenging household names by making a like-for-like product at the same price point, something it has successfully done for years.

However, in 2019 when Aldi launched ‘Cuthbert the Caterpillar’, drawing inspiration from a close competitor, the reaction was far bigger than it may have anticipated. M&S’ ‘Colin the Caterpillar’ had been on shelves for over 30 years and the supermarket didn’t take kindly to Aldi’s copycat approach. M&S’ reaction put Aldi’s brand at risk. It faced criticism in the press and a legal case from M&S.

Accelerating Growth

Aldi’s news sentiment score grew by 8.5% and purchase consideration grew by 6.8% during the court battle.

While the controversy was legally settled between the two supermarket giants in 2022, Aldi continued to capitalise on the public’s interest in the spat in 2023 with the launch of a new advert. The ad was a fun play on the caterpillar cake rivalry, depicting a party attended by all the supermarkets’ caterpillars. When Colin arrives a scuffle breaks out with Cuthbert before ending with the line ‘Aldi. Like M&S. Only cheaper.’