ALDI revisits the 90s with Fatboy Slim’s “Rockafeller Skank”
How do you honor a cultural moment that shaped an entire generation? ALDI’s latest commercial turns back the clock to the late 1990s – a time when the supermarket chain wasn’t just revolutionizing grocery shopping, but also changing how millions of households experienced technology. To mark the moment, Tracks & Fields handled music research, clearance, and licensing for a soundtrack that defined the era: Fatboy Slim’s 1998 smash hit “The Rockafeller Skank.”
A Generational Milestone
In 1998, ALDI democratized technology with the launch of its first Medion PC. Suddenly, personal computing and access to the digital world were no longer luxuries – they were household essentials affordable for millions. For many, this was the first gateway to the internet, shaping how a generation studied, played, and connected.
Set against this background, the new commercial and episode of ALDI “stories” revisits personal memories of that era. The brand asks: how do you mark the moment that brought an entire generation into the digital world? The answer is simple: with the electrifying sound of the track that was equally unavoidable and unforgettable at the time.
The Song That Defined the Summer of ’98
Released in June 1998, “The Rockafeller Skank” became one of Fatboy Slim’s most iconic tracks, capturing the energy of big beat music just as it was breaking globally. It soared to number six on the UK Singles Chart, topped charts in Iceland, and even carved its place on the US Billboard Hot 100. In the decades since, the single has repeatedly been celebrated as one of the greatest dance tracks of all time by outlets such as Rolling Stone and Billboard.
Pairing this song – filled with rhythm, energy, and unmistakable hooks – with ALDI’s nostalgic campaign draws a direct line between two icons of the time: a first PC in the living room, and the big beat soundtrack blasting from the speakers.
A Piece of History
The story goes beyond advertising nostalgia. The original ALDI Medion PC will soon be displayed at Germany’s Haus der Geschichte museum as a cultural milestone.
As Christian Göbel, Deputy Managing Director of Marketing & Communication at ALDI SÜD, puts it:
„Mitte der 90er machte ALDI mit dem Medion PC den Computer für Millionen Haushalte leistbar und öffnete damit den Weg ins Internetzeitalter. Eine Zeit, die viele von uns nicht vergessen werden. Dass der erste ALDI PC nun bald im Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ausgestellt wird, ehrt uns ausgesprochen und ist eine große Motivation, auch in Zukunft das gute Leben für alle zu ermöglichen.”
Tracks & Fields’ Role
For this campaign, Tracks & Fields led the end-to-end music supervision: from researching the perfect track to handling clearance of rights and securing the license. Choosing a piece as iconic as Fatboy Slim’s “The Rockafeller Skank” required careful negotiation and precision in aligning music rights with the campaign’s vision.
The result is a spot that doesn’t just advertise – it reminds. It reconnects audiences with a turning point in everyday culture, when a supermarket offered technology that changed lives, and a track by a Brighton DJ made the entire world move.
