Don’t doze off just yet – the third post in our 12 Ads of Christmas series is finally here!
First, we sent you 12 Engines Humming. Then, we sent you 11 Cards a-Swiping.
Now, on the tenth day of Christmas, MediaRadar sent (to me) … not Ten Lords a-Leaping, but 10 Sleepers Sleeping!
Do you remember the lyrics to “12 Days of Christmas”?
“On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,
Twelve Drummers Drumming,
Eleven Pipers Piping,
Ten Lords a-Leaping,
Nine Ladies Dancing,
Eight Maids a-Milking,
Seven Swans a-Swimming,
Six Geese a-Laying,
Five Gold Rings,
Four Calling Birds,
Three French Hens,
Two Turtle Doves,
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree!”
From mattresses to egg tosses, from friendly monsters to magical guides and mythical creatures, these ads will give you plenty to dream about while Santa fills your stocking with gifts.
The following 10 mattress brands remind us that the perfect present may not be a tangible trinket, but rather the gift of a good night’s sleep.
Let’s take a look at this year’s best mattress advertisements:
1. Purple – “Does Your Mattress Pass The Human Egg Drop Test?”
Ever since its launch three years ago, Purple has pushed out ads that are not only exaggerated and strange (Sasquatch appears twice in this one) in terms of content, but also much lengthier than other commercials.
With great freedom and creative power comes some innovative ideas. The brand has been using the H.E.D. test (the “Human Egg Drop” test) to highlight the differences between a good mattress (Purple) and a bad mattress (regular memory foam).
The startup’s YouTube channel has racked up approximately 168K subscribers and the specific ad above garnered around 9.4 million views, quite hefty numbers for a simple mattress company.
While Purple didn’t spend any money on TV ads last year, the company has already spent over $5 million during Q4 2018.
2. Nectar – “Sleep Like a Baby”
Here’s another strange commercial. Babies with adult voices and adult heads talk to viewers about how much they love Nectar’s mattresses.
This company pinpoints the transformative quality of its mattresses. “This mattress changed our lives for the better,” one character (who must only be a few years old) jokes.
“I’m sleeping better than I have in years,” another half-baby, half-woman mentions. While the reviewers also compliment the quality and value of the mattress, the ad’s main takeaway is this:
“True happiness starts when you sleep like a baby.” The idea is that, if people sleep on a Nectar mattress, they’ll be able to sleep like a baby and achieve utter bliss.
Between Q4 of last year and Q4 of this year, Nectar didn’t spend a single dollar on TV ads. Instead, most of its money went into digital ads.
3. Casper – “Better Beings”
Mattress reviews can be quite entertaining, to say the least. One customer actually said “Casper is like sleeping on a nest, woven from a unicorns mane.”
Casper‘s TV ad compiled its best reviews from across the country and replaced its human customers with Muppet-like creatures, somehow making something like fascinating reviews even more compelling to its audience.
The brand harped a bit on the quality of its mattresses and the transformative nature of them, just in time for New Year’s. Anticipating this holiday, more and more people become invested in changing and becoming better versions of themselves.
Casper acts as a catalyst for this transformation. “Casper has truly changed our lives,” one client declared. “I’m a softer, happier, friendlier version of myself,” another customer divulged.
During last year’s fourth quarter (Q4), Casper spent over $13 million on TV ads. The brand is on track to spend a little less this year during Q4 2018.
4. Serta – “Rick Blomquist”
In this TV commercial, Serta distinguishes itself as the king of comfortable. “Everything else is just sorta comfortable.”
Rick Blomquist, the center of this commercial, “thought he had comfort all figured out” – he eats a comfortable breakfast, lives in a comfortable ranch-style home, wears shoes with orthopedic inserts, and has comfortable job.
But, when he slept on a Serta mattress for the very first time, he realized that he’s “been living a lie.”
Last year during Q4, the mattress brand spent nearly $1 million dollars on both TV and digital ads. Serta has already surpassed that number at this point in 2018.
5. Tempur Sealy International, Inc. – “KRISTEN. Tempur-Pedic Sleep is Power.”
In this ad, “sleep is power.”
With proprietary material, Tempur-Pedic mattresses “adequately adjust to your weight, shape, and temperature, so you can sleep deeply and wake up feeling powerful.”
During Q4 2017, Tempur-Pedic spent almost $14 million. The company is expected to perform the same this year.
6. Simmons Bedding – “Beauty Rest”
In a rare commercial, Simmons Bedding allows viewers to explore inside the finite fabrics of a mattress.
The company claims to leave its customers “with more presence and focus.” With the multiple wave-like motions, the commercial itself also stirs up similar reactions. The micro-diamond technology sparkles, lines curl, and, then, the gray fog lifts. The audience comes out calmer, yet more energized.
This was Simmons Bedding‘s main objective: “We don’t just make mattresses so that you can get a better sleep. We make them so that you can be more awake.” It was like the ad viewers also went through the sleep cycle.
Simmons Bedding spent almost $2 million last year between October and November 2017. They have yet to run any TV ads this year.
7. The Saatva Company – “The Path to Sleep Enlightenment”
In this mattress commercial, a Saatva guide, who could have easily been replaced by the real Santa Claus, helps find a couple the perfect present: a luxury mattress at an affordable price.
The guide takes them on the path to sleep enlightenment. They start in the overwhelming World Wide Web, and then move on to a mattress store where “over-inflated prices and over-bearing salespeople” abound. Before reaching the harmonious place where Saatva employees “inform and guide, instead of push and pressure,” the couple makes one more step. It’s the desert of boxed mattresses, which are both difficult to maneuver and to set up.
While The Saatva Company only spent about $1 to 2 million on TV ads in Q4 2017, it more than tripled that amount this year, spending almost $7 million.
8. Raymour & Flanigan – “We’ve Got You Covered”
While gathering together family for the holidays may lead to some minor arguments and friction, it also brings about feelings of closeness and safety.
Raymour & Flanigan produces the same positive vibes.
Some things – like a couple fighting over the covers in bed – are out of the company’s control, but it still “got you covered” in other ways. Its flexible financing and free next day mattress delivery also make customers feel reassured and secure.
Between October 2017 and November 2017, Raymour & Flanigan spent over $17 million on TV ads. The company is on track to surpass that number this year.
9. Sleep Number – “This is Not a Bed”
When Sleep Number says, “This is not a bed,” it means that it’s something more -it’s technologically savvy, thoughtful, and motivating, almost like a robot or some humans.
It can intelligently sense people’s movements and perfectly adjust each side. By doing so, it keeps both sleepers comfortable. Sleep Number helps its clients enjoy a perfect night’s rest, so that they’re motivated enough in the morning to go out and lose their dad bods, train for that marathon, or wake up with the patience of a saint.
Between October and November 2017, Sleep Number spent almost $35 million. It’s predicted that it will spend a little less on TV ads this year.
10. Mattress Firm – “Year End Closing Sale”
This ad takes more of a direct sales approach, targeting those that are looking to save money on their next mattress purchase.
During its “Year End Closing Sale,” Mattress Firm can save shoppers up to $1,000 dollars storewide. With select purchases, some consumers even earn a free box spring. Plus, they don’t have to worry about the next few years – Mattress Firm lets customers “sleep interest free for up to five years.”
“Nobody sells for less!” preached the company.
Mattress Firm spent over $40 million between October and November of last year. This year, the company is on track to spend less.
MediaRadar wishes you a relaxing and worry-free holiday, just like these brands wish you a sound and tranquil night’s sleep upon their mattresses.
But, wait! Please don’t fall asleep yet. Our next post, Nine Ladies Dancing, is just about ready to cha-cha slide right onto our blog.
*All Q4 2018 predictions are made by comparing October/November spend YoY
