This New Mattress Can Easily Handle the Crazy, Kooky Lives of Millennials

Do millennials ever sleep? Aren't they awake 24/7, constantly doing rad things and making the world better place? Well, they probably need to catch some Zs every now and then. So, Sleep Number targets this young-adult cohort in a cross-platform campaign developed by Peterson Milla Hooks. Ads introduce the "It" bed, a mattress system where each side of the bed can be adjusted (firmer vs. softer, etc.) using your phone or tablet's Bluetooth technology. Doesn't that sound like fun? PMH serves up a bunch of oh-so-breezy, kicky/quirky/kooky videos, out-of-home ads and social elements touting It as "the bed you can change as you change." Doesn't that sound like fun, too? "This target is more connected digitally than any other and is keenly tuned in about the connection between sleep and their overall well-being," Sleep Number chief marketer Kevin Brown tells Adweek. "This campaign is all about an individual's sleep needs and how an individual changes not just year over year, but daily." First up is Alexei, a chill cat who goes from "couch potato to cabbage cleanse" and manages to kink his clavicle: [kickout id="1"] "The big brand takeaway should be: We believe in individuality, and you are not a one-size-fits-all person," says Brown. "Everything else in your life is smart and digitally connected, so why not your bed? Oh, and you get the convenience of ordering online and having it delivered right to your door." Next, we meet Paige, an aspiring plant lady and failed roller-skater who's into twosomes and burrito babies these days: [kickout id="2"] "We had an obscene amount of fun coming up with Paige's character," says PMH associate creative director Andrea Hyde. "She's a magical bohemian lazybones. She floats through her days trying this and becoming that." Magical bohemian lazybones. That's going on our LinkedIn. A third spot puts a "drunner" (aka, drunk runner) through her belchy/sweaty paces: [kickout id="3"] "Having millennial mind-sets ourselves, we know that our obsession with productivity leads us to doing too much at once on a regular basis," says agency copywriter Madeline Harkness. "So why choose? Drunning it is. At least give it a whirl and change up your bed when you get back, because you're going to need to sleep both those activities off." PMH certainly succeeds at channeling the busy/blithe millennial vibe. (Actually, decades of pop culture inform that particular ethos, so the ads also evoke groovy '60s comedies through their quick cuts, bright visuals, retro soundtrack and live-for-today sensibility.) Avoiding product demos and explainers is probably wise, because that stuff would just slow things down. This pitch is all about the cutes and feels, and that approach should appeal to the target audience. At any rate, with those cheeky-squeaky musical cues, at least viewers won't nod off. Proving Paige is no lazybones, she and Alexei also appear in out-of-home placements. Here she is, drinking her way through Tuesday: Whoa, Paige, watch out for those stairs: Meanwhile, Alexei's all ears: "The creative is strategically placed near and around experiences where this target is already out living their lives, and in key cities we know are conducive to this attitude—Denver, Austin and Minneapolis," says Brown. "We wanted to find interesting ways to take over outdoor spaces, the goal being: Make the work feel less like traditional advertising and more like an organic part of their experience." You can experience more OOH ads below: CREDITS Client: iT Bed by Sleep Number Agency: Peterson Milla Hooks Executive CD: Dave Peterson Creative Director: Courtney Vincent Art Director/ACD: Andrea Hyde Designer: Daniel Lurvey Copywriter: Madeline Harkness Producer: Andrea Shimp Account Supervisor: Molly Loken Strategy: Lauren Buckley Project Management: Kate Meehan, Rachael Moench Studio Artist: Steve Carlson Business Affairs: Tracie Kittelson Director: Aldo Hertz Photographer: Cameron Wittig Video Production: Aldo Hertz, Topper Anton Edit: JoLynn Garnes, Topper Anton Music: Daron Walker, HiFi Project, Inc. Wardrobe Stylist: Sarah Cohran Hair/Make-Up Artist: Carol Stopera Prop/Set Stylist: Liz Gardner

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This New Mattress Can Easily Handle the Crazy, Kooky Lives of Millennials

PMH introduces Sleep Number's 'It' bed

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David Gianatasio