Aldi Süd und die Monster: Einfachheit ist Ehrlichkeit

23.10.2026

Aldi isn’t advertising its prices here, but peace and quiet: the moment when nothing beeps, flashes or demands anything anymore. Out there, everything competes for our attention: phone, push notification, points balance. The Aldi Süd store, by contrast, is another planet, a place where you simply shop. The monsters that climb out of the smartphone in the new Halloween spot and demand data in exchange for “exclusive” offers are therefore not the apps themselves, but the feeling of being constantly pressured – a pressure that no longer stays outside the store door, but follows us all the way to the kitchen table. Aldi’s answer is not the next discount, but giving up everything that disturbs – and a promise: “In a moment, I’ll show you how relaxed shopping can be.”

For Marketing expert and keynote speaker Thomas Daamen, whose keynote on decisiveness and sacrifice, “Deciding Means Giving Up AND Winning”, addresses exactly this, sees a lesson in decisiveness: simplicity sounds like sacrifice – but it is a gain. Many in marketing shy away from it because less looks like loss: fewer promotions, less data, fewer levers. Yet leaving things out takes more courage. Anyone can build something complicated; simplicity has to be decided. “A real yes always means a decisive no as well,” says Daamen. Aldi says no to bonus apps and the hunt for points – and gains focus on what matters. And from that comes the impression of honesty: anyone who shops at Aldi doesn’t have to calculate, compare or be suspicious – they know what they’re getting. The same principle lies behind Aperol, which Daamen helped shape: a single signature drink instead of many, the Aperol Spritz, with a formula so simple that everyone remembers it – three, two, one: Prosecco, Aperol, soda. Simplicity that you understand instantly is something you pass on – and that is exactly why it became a ritual for many.

That simplicity is more than a feeling is described by a depth-psychology study by the rheingold Institute. It says nothing about bonus apps, but it does say what can provide relief when shopping: at Aldi, that means clear paths, a reduced selection and a view of what matters. This reduces complexity, and control is retained. Aldi Süd itself draws the quintessence from this and, in times of digital overstimulation, offers “a place where shopping stays simple”. For Daamen, this is brand management at its best: customer understanding also means taking away the decisions that cost customers energy. Trust arises where you don’t have to check whether you are being treated fairly – and that is exactly the core of every Love Brand.

“Honesty begins where the customer stops calculating,” is how Daamen sums it up.

Image credit: ©ALDI SÜD

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About Thomas Daamen

Thomas Daamen is a keynote speaker from Munich and a Marketing Director with more than 20 years of experience in marketing and sales, including several years in a leading role for Aperol. He speaks at annual kickoffs, sales conferences, leadership events and customer events about how to understand customers, decide boldly and win teams over for a brand – told through Love Brands.

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