Lidl has rivalled Coca Cola by introducing its very own red truck for Christmas.
The supermarket chain has long been known for cheekily copying big household names and offering a budget alternative – and is up to its old tricks once again with a festive special.
Now, it’s been inspired by Coca Cola’s famous red truck to go on tour and spread festive cheer, signalling that Christmas is right round the corner.
The giant 15-tonne Freeway cola truck is set to tour the UK across nine cities, where it will grant festive wishes, give away more than 2,000 present boxes and food samples.
They’ve also launched another Christmas advert, in which cheery employee Nick drives the shiny red vehicle to bring people ‘truck loads of magic, under budget’.
Lidl has rivalled Coca Cola by introducing its very own red truck for Christmas
The presents will include items from the ‘middle of Lidl’ aisle – with one in 10 containing a ‘golden ticket’ to give customers the opportunity to win their Christmas food shop.
Even after the tour, visitors can submit a ‘Christmas wish’, which the supermarket will grant to a select few.
Joanna Gomer, Marketing Director at Lidl GB, commented ‘Giving back to the communities we serve is really important to us and our exciting new Freeway truck allows us to get right into the heart of them this year.
‘By touring nine stops across the country, we’ll be using our giant truck to hand out present boxes, give away festive food shops and grant wishes that will make dreams come true.
‘Look out for the Freeway truck on its tour and most importantly, come join the fun.’
Lidl’s Freeway truck will tour Great Britain from November 14 to December 1, visiting nine stops: Dundee, Harrogate, Hull, Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Wrexham, Luton, Bournemouth and Southampton.
The giant 15-tonne Freeway cola truck is set to tour the UK across nine cities
Now, it’s been inspired by Coca Cola’s famous red truck (pictured) to go on tour and spread festive cheer
At each stop, a Christmas wonderland will be set up, giving out festive goodies
Lidl’s Freeway truck will tour Great Britain from November 14 to December 1, visiting nine stops: Dundee, Harrogate, Hull, Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Wrexham, Luton, Bournemouth and Southampton
It comes after Lidl released its heartwarming Christmas advert – rivalling John Lewis’s famous creations.
The German supermarket has today unveiled its festive advert showing how a small gesture can make a big difference in a sweet tale by Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper.
Set in a picturesque village, the ad opens with a little girl called Emma, wrapped up in a yellow hat and a blue jacket (which are of course, the Lidl colours), sledging down a hillside with other children.
Amid the flurry of fun, she turns and notices a boy unable to join in as he is only wearing a thin coat and warming his hands with his breath.
On her way home, the kind-hearted girl stops to help an elderly woman who has dropped her Lidl shopping bag.
Set in a picturesque village, the ad centres around a girl called Emma, wrapped up in a yellow hat and a blue jacket (coincidentally Lidl colours) and her friendship with a boy
As a token of gratitude, the old lady hands her two bells tied together with a ribbon and says: ‘When the bell rings, make a wish’.
Now at home, Emma carefully places the bells on the Christmas tree and joins her family for a hearty festive meal.
As they chimes from the tree, her little brother makes a wish to turn the plate of Brussels sprouts in front of him into much more favourable gingerbread biscuits.
The young boy’s eyes widen as he takes in the goodies before him but, in a comedic moment, his mother makes a wish and changes the sweet treat back into the healthier option.
Inspired, his younger sister squeezes her stuffed racoon to her chest and wishes for it to come alive.
Magically, a life-size raccoon appears in her arms – which grandma seems to find disturbing.
Suddenly the children’s mother flings open the patio doors to find a huge gingerbread man patrolling the streets and it seems the boy’s original wish still came true.
The family laugh as snow falls and fairy lights twinkle around them before they all turn – including the monstrous gingerbread man – to see what the Emma will wish for.
Instead of wishing for a sweet treat or a real-life raccoon like her siblings, she takes a present from under the tree and closes her eyes.
The family laugh as they see a giant gingerbread man patrolling the street
Instead of asking for a sweet treat or a real-life raccoon, Emma wishes for the boy to have her present
He opens it to reveal a Lidl woolly hat and scarf – allowing him to stay warm enough to sledge with the other children the following day
As the softly spoken narrator asks: ‘Is it not more Christmassy to give?’, a flurry of magic whisks the gift away and it lands in the lap of the boy who was too cold to sledge earlier that day.
He excitedly opens the parcel to reveal a Lidl woolly hat and immediately puts it on.
Pleased with his presents, and more importantly warm, the boy joins Emma sledging the following day.
Lidl’s advert, which premiered on ITV1 on Sunday evening, signals the return of its beloved Toy Bank scheme which has returned for 2024.
The supermarket is asking its customers to consider making a big difference with a small gesture by contributing to its toy bank.
This year they are hoping to collect over 100,000 toys for Lidl’s charity partners to distribute.
It comes after Sainsbury’s and Argos released their Christmas offering.
Sainsbury’s drew inspiration from Roald Dahl‘s beloved BFG for its 2024 Christmas advert.
With a voiceover from Stephen Fry, the ad tells the story of the friendly 24-foot-tall giant and a real-life Sainsbury’s employee called Sophie who go on an adventure to locate the festive food on sale at the UK supermarket.
The chain enlisted the help of Sophie, a food services assistant at Sainsbury’s and a keen drama student, who made her acting debut in the festive advertising campaign.