In the vibrant world of advertising, connecting with your audience is key to success. Campaigns that resonate can create meaningful bonds, while even minor missteps offer valuable lessons.
When familiar symbols or uniforms are featured in surprising ways, they often spark lively conversations. Recently, ALDI’s ad campaign stirred debate among Australians regarding its portrayal of the respected State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers.
The controversial ‘Quality is Easy to Find’ campaign depicted actors dressed in attire resembling SES uniforms searching a paddock.
The commercial’s punchline, where a woman triumphantly discovers not a missing person but ALDI’s hummus, was intended to be humorous. ‘I’ve found it, repeat, I have found it. We have found the hummus,’ she exclaims, followed by a voiceover: ‘It’s easy to find quality at ALDI because that’s all we stock. ALDI: good, different.’
However, the attempt at levity fell flat with many viewers. The SES, a volunteer organisation, is known for its critical role in responding to natural disasters and emergencies, including floods, storms, and tsunamis, and for its search and rescue operations for missing individuals.
The ad’s timing was particularly insensitive, airing during a news segment that included coverage of a search for a missing person in Western Australia, which tragically ended with the discovery of a deceased individual.
The backlash was swift and severe, with social media users and the public accusing ALDI of highlighting SES volunteers’ serious and often harrowing work.
‘This ad is poor form. SES literally volunteer their own time to help out in times of need, and you’re making a mockery of them,’ one Facebook user commented.
The criticism wasn’t limited to the general public. Professionals who have worked alongside the SES also voiced their disapproval.
‘As a news photographer for many decades, this is so offensive. I have walked through those fields with real SES volunteers that had to deal with grim findings,’ another individual remarked, calling for the dismissal of whoever was responsible for the ad’s concept.
‘Please be a bit more considerate. It’s a very traumatic experience. The woke junior burger in your building that came up with this concept should be dismissed and walked out of the building, never to return. And apologise to the SES.’
ALDI’s response to the uproar was a brief acknowledgment on social media: ‘We’re sorry to hear you didn’t like our ad. We’ll be sure to let the team know for consideration.’
Meanwhile, a New South Wales SES spokesperson stated that the organisation was not involved in producing the commercial and declined to comment further.
Have you or someone you know been involved with the SES? What’s your take on ALDI’s ad campaign? Let’s discuss the fine line between humour and respect in advertising and how we can better honour our community heroes. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Also read: Cult-favourite international ALDI buy finally lands in Australia—what’s all the talk about?
Oh my goodness, what a to-do about nothing. Aldi was not mocking anybody, if anything, the ad agency responsible for coming up with this probably thought it was being supportive of Australia’s rescue personnel. Anyway, Aldi is known for it’s better prices and no-frills shopping, certainly not for its advertising (Aldi is German, not a nation celebrate for its sense of humour). Let’s get it together, people, there’s a helluva lot more for us to be concerned about than this nonsense.
Aldi’s advertisement is light hearted. There is enough drama in the world. The add is harmless..