Aldi “Cakes” (2023)

One of the funniest shoots of my career; playing Cuthbert the Caterpillar in Aldi’s new viral spot. Directed by the fantastic Juliet May, casting by Lesley Beastall.

You can see the main spot here: https://youtu.be/wywGMb74VIk

Aldi has reignited the caterpillar cake wars in an advert that pits Cuthbert against M&S rival Colin.

The ad, shared by the brand on Twitter today (28 April), shows Cuthbert, brought to life by an actor in a caterpillar costume, at a party with his caterpillar friends, each named after other supermarkets’ cakes.

In the ad, Cuthbert, Wiggles (Sainsbury’s) and Morris (Morrisons) taste both M&S and Aldi’s cakes before declaring they like both. The ad then displays a caption showing Aldi’s cake costs £4.99 compared to £8.50 for the M&S equivalent, in the latest iteration of the discounter’s long-standing ‘Like Brands’ campaign.

Colin himself then makes an awkward appearance for a tense exchange with Cuthbert, which eventually breaks out in a scuffle.

The video ends with the line ‘Aldi. Like M&S. Only cheaper’. The brand has been posting further short videos and stills of the rival caterpillars since it launched the ad.