Lidl has taken a leaf out of John Lewis’ book as it unveiled a heartwarming Christmas ad featuring a brave raccoon.
The advert, which premieres during Emmerdale tonight, tells the story of an adorable raccoon who goes above and beyond to make one little boy’s day extra special.
It begins with the raccoon looking curiously through a window to see a family excitedly decorating a Christmas tree, when the family dog accidentally smashes the little boy’s favourite monkey Christmas decoration.
Wanting to cheer her son up, the boy’s mother picks up a cuddly toy while doing the weekly shop at Lidl, but accidentally drops it on the cycle home.
The raccoon then plays the hero and picks up the toy monkey and crosses the city by any means possible – climbing road signs, riding the tube, and sailing on a log across a river – to reach the family home and put the toy under the Christmas tree.
The advert, which is also being aired across the grocer’s international markets, is designed to remind viewers of the impact that small acts of kindness can have during the festive season.
The discounter will be selling both raccoon and monkey toys in-store with the proceeds going to Neighbourly.
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It is also bringing back its Toy Bank initiative, which last year gave more than 80,000 children gifts who might not have otherwise received anything on Christmas Day.
From today until 16 December, customers can drop off new and unopened toys and games, to be gifted to children that need support in their local area.
Lidl GB chief commercial officer Peter de Roos said: “At Christmas, there’s nothing more magical than seeing the joy a gift can bring to a child, and we want to help make sure this joy reaches all families.
“Our hope is that by bringing back the toy donation points we are making it easier, for those customers who can, to donate directly to local good causes by giving them a small way to make a real difference and help those that need it the most.”
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