Aldi Australia Spot Slams Pointless Points Schemes

BMF's new marketing drive for ALDI Australia takes a swipe at rewards schemes run by the supermarket chain's rivals, with a droll campaign film, directed by Jeff Low through Rabbit Content, that asks shoppers: 'Why save pointless points?'

It’s a fair question, Aussie consumers are consumed by loyalty schemes. Research by comparision site Finder.com.au found that 90 per cent of shoppers belong to a loyalty programme, and more than 60 per cent are influenced by them.

The campaign – which continues Aldi's ‘Good Different’ positioning – says its rivals' loyalty programmes make you spend more money rather than saving it. To support this, the German supermarket giant has released an online calculator that encourages shoppers to assess the deal they’re getting from schemes such as Woolworths Rewards and Coles’ Flybuys, which offer points for dollars spent. 

It claims that a consumer spending A$200 per week on groceries would – eventually – earn the points necessary to redeem a 32cm Tefal frying pan after one year and five months, after spending A$15,115. Or you could buy one off the shelf for A$60. 

Aldi, of course, doesn’t run a loyalty scheme, so the spot taps cleverly into the notion of unquestioning obedience by creating a dystopian world that gives an oblique nod to The Handmaid’s Tale, with zombiefied supermarket staff in crimson uniforms praising points.

 “While we all suspect that loyalty schemes don’t provide value for money, there’s something deeply psychological in our devotion to the points. It needed to be called out, and there’s nobody better to do it than Aldi,” said BMF executive creative director Alex Derwin. 

The campaign's cheeky take on its rivals' efforts has been noted by the Australian media, with retail expert Gary Mortimer, associate professor at the Queensland University of Technology, telling business site SmartCompany: "It’s a bit passive aggressive.”  That's as maybe, but the hilarious spot earns plenty comedy points from shots...