Marks & Spencer shares meme in response to Aldi’s ‘Free Cuthbert’ jokes
Marks & Spencer has issued a response on Twitter to ongoing jokes made by the Aldi social media team over the weekend.
The brand announced last Friday it would be pursuing a legal challenge against the discount supermarket over its popular Colin The Caterpillar cake, having lodged a claim with the High Court.
In the claim, M&S says Aldi’s Cuthbert the Caterpillar infringes its trademark for the dessert and is “riding on the coat-tails” of the success of its cake.
But less than 24 hours after the news was made public, the Aldi social media team had devised a #FreeCuthbert hashtag and was mocking the supermarket in a series of jokes.
Paraphrasing Marks & Spencer’s famous slogan, the brand started a tweet thread, saying: “This is not just any court case, this is…”
This is not just any court case, this is... #FreeCuthbert
— Aldi Stores UK (@AldiUK) April 15, 2021
As well as: “Just Colin our lawyers”.
Just Colin our lawyers.#FreeCuthbert
— Aldi Stores UK (@AldiUK) April 16, 2021
They also tweeted TV judge, Judge Rinder, saying: “How’s your diary looking? Asking for a friend.”
And shared a mock courtroom sketch of Cuthbert in the stand.
Live from inside the courtroom. #FreeCuthbert pic.twitter.com/3gCk7Ex553
— Aldi Stores UK (@AldiUK) April 16, 2021
“Marks & Snitches more like,” followed by a picture of Cuthbert behind bars in the cake’s familiar green packaging.
Marks & Snitches more like. #FreeCuthbert
— Aldi Stores UK (@AldiUK) April 16, 2021
It also included the names of cakes sold in other supermarkets. “Cecil, Wiggles, Curly, Clyde. We got you,” it said.
And concluded: “Cuthbert has been found GUILTY….of being delicious.”
On Monday, Marks & Spencer issued a response on Twitter, saying: “Our social team over the weekend” with the “This is fine” meme and a photoshopped Colin the Caterpillar.
Our social team over the weekend: pic.twitter.com/G2DEM5D6iu
— M&S (@marksandspencer) April 19, 2021
Marks & Spencer created the first Colin the Caterpillar cake in 1990 and has sold more than 15 million of the item over the years.
The appearance of the cake has remained much the same since 2004, but receives updated looks for seasonal holidays such as Halloween and Christmas.
Earlier this month the brand announced it would be releasing a “Colin jar” with deconstructed cake in glass pots but it divided fans, with some saying it seemed like a “late April fools”.
Read More
Biden expels Russian diplomats in retaliation for election hacking
Aldi makes Twitter pun about M&S Colin the Caterpillar legal challenge