Aldi continues to harness its ‘everyman’ appeal with Capaldi stunt

Today’s most impactful cultural moments, from Oasis’ gigs to ice baths, have been successfully hijacked by Aldi. And now, Lewis Capaldi has got in on the act.

Creative Moment examines the secret behind the supermarket’s creative success.

How can a brand rank fourth among supermarkets and boast a turnover of £17.4bn, yet nonetheless maintain an underdog appeal? Aldi has an advertorial secret sauce, it seems.

Its latest crowd-pleasing stunt enlists none other than singer Lewis Capaldi, who popped up on the roof of a local Nottingham Aldi – rebranding the store “Cap-Aldi” with a giant cardboard ‘Cap’ taped to the sign before breaking into an impromptu gig.

The set, which took place the same week his brand-new single ‘Something in the Heavens’ dropped, left local shoppers amazed as the internationally acclaimed singer songwriter entertained with his soaring vocals.

Capaldi performed his new single alongside ‘Survive’ and the momentous ‘Someone You Loved’, sending Aldi customers into a frenzy as their weekly shop turned into a once-in-a-lifetime gig.

Surprise singalong

The surprise show comes during Capaldi’s return to the stage after a two-year break. Already selling a monumental 200,000-ticket sold-out UK arena tour, Capaldi is once again proving his power to connect, with rapturous crowds already singing back every word of his latest anthems.

Lewis himself said, “This is Capaldi on the roof of an Aldi. Sorry to get in the way of anyone’s shopping. I was back there earlier, some excellent produce, brioche buns, carrots - the lot".

Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: “It doesn’t get more heavenly than Lewis Capaldi on the roof of an Aldi – it feels like this moment was written in the stars. Our customers were treated to something truly unforgettable, and Lewis turned an ordinary day into supermarket history.”

Our take

Aldi has long been the cheeky underdog of UK supermarkets, wielding wordplay like a weapon to outwit pricier rivals. Rebranding a Nottingham store as ‘Cap-Aldi’ is in keeping with its punworthy prowess.

Jumping on cultural coattails is something the brand has honed to a t, thanks largely to agency Taylor Herring.

In July 2025, they rebranded a Manchester store as "Aldeh" to capitalise on Oasis's reunion gigs at Heaton Park – a nod to the Gallagher brothers' Manchester native tongue. It racked up millions of social impressions, proving Aldi's knack for jumping on some Britpop nostalgia.

In October 2024, meanwhile, the brand’s everyman appeal was on full display. Aldi trolled luxury fashion house Moschino after the brand dropped a £3,730 celery-shaped clutch bag. They posted a TikTok promo slashing their own celery to 75p with the tagline "Your move Moschino, but we do have a whole veg aisle".

Then there's the February 2025 ‘Trash-Chic’ coup at London Fashion Week, where Aldi partnered with designer Ethan Leyland to craft a haute-couture line from black bin bags: a satirical swipe at high-end excess.

These calculated cultural piggybacks amplify Aldi's "like brands, only cheaper" vibe, but ultimately, they’re able to pull it off because they know their brand is never going to have the high-end sexiness of M&S. They play to their strengths, keep an ear to the ground, and know when to take the piss.