Spark Foundry Picks Up Mattress Firm’s $250 Million U.S. Media Account

Mattress Firm, America’s largest specialty mattress retailer, has named Publicis Groupe’s Spark Foundry as its U.S. media agency of record after a review.

This news marks the second recent agency change for the company. In May, it announced that Droga5 would be its new creative partner and launched a new campaign called “Technology to Power Off” that mocked recent trends in smartphone ads. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak also served as the brand’s celebrity spokesperson for the rollout.

Moving forward, the recently renamed Spark Foundry network will handle planning and buying strategy for TV, radio, print and out-of-home work. Independent agency Clearlink of Salt Lake City currently runs the digital portion of the business.

“We believe Spark Foundry will be instrumental in connecting Mattress Firm to the rapidly-changing customer. As the media landscape continues to evolve, it’s important we uncover new ways to introduce and reinforce our brand to millions of Americans,” said CMO Sicily Dickenson, who cited the agency’s “deep understanding of the retail industry and how national brands can create personalized experiences” in explaining the decision.

Spark Foundry U.S. CEO Chris Boothe added, “As we begin our partnership with Mattress Firm, we remain resolute in our commitment to deliver growth for the brand. We look forward to providing our full arsenal of innovative marketing and media solutions to drive their business forward.”

Houston-based agency The Company, which had served as Mattress Firm’s lead media shop in the U.S. since 2010, opted not to defend. “While The Company has been invited to re-pitch the business, we’ve respectfully declined to participate in the RFP process,” said The CEO Jose Lozano. “We wish Mattress Firm and their leadership team nothing but continued success as a category leader.”

A party involved in the review named MediaCom and Carat as the other finalists pitching against Spark Foundry, and a GroupM spokesperson confirmed MediaCom’s participation. Representatives for Carat have not yet responded to a request for comment on the news.

According to the latest numbers from Kantar Media, Mattress Firm spent approximately $250 million on measured media in the U.S. last year and $117 million during the first half of 2017.

This marks the third major account Spark has won since retiring the Mediavest name in July. The network previously won reviews for Southwest Airlines and Nature’s Way after losing Sprint and Honda earlier this year.

Patrick Coffee

@PatrickCoffee

Patrick Coffee is a senior editor for Adweek.