Inside the Campaign Where Canadians Reviewed IKEA Mattresses in Their Sleep

Two pieces of furniture are worth never compromising on. The first is a chair. If you sit for long hours, you need the right support.

Next up is a mattress. Adults are recommended to get a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night, and it’s abundantly clear that humans spend a lot of time sleeping, so, seeking the tools to make good rest possible? It only makes sense.

IKEA is keenly aware of this latter point. So, last month, in partnership with Rethink, it launched a new campaign, aiming to cut through the noise of a sector saturated with influencer ads and sponsored posts.

Centred around the insight that sleep talk is a sign of good rest, the two got original in their approach, deciding that no amount of strong writing or visual craft could surpass a real demonstration of quality. So, they turned one of the company’s Canadian stores into a place where people could sleep overnight, and then proceeded to film people who did so. Capturing 90-hours of footage in the process, this somewhat unconventional approach allowed the teams to stitch together a fun spot and series of out-of-home ads – all of which highlighted genuine and funny sleep talking moments from the participants – providing definitive proof that indeed, IKEA mattresses are conducive to good rest.

To learn more about how this all came together, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Rethink partner and group creative director Zachary Bautista, group creative director Geoff Baillie, and IKEA Canada’s head of marketing, Jonelle Ricketts, for a chat.

LBB> From the top, what was the brief, and why did IKEA want to highlight its mattress quality at this present time?

Jonelle> ‘Sleep Talk Reviews’ wasn’t born from a traditional brief; it was inspired by the insight that sleep talking is a sign of deep, restful sleep. By tapping into the humour and humanity of real sleep talking, we were able to cut through the noise with something unexpected, while reinforcing that deep sleep starts with a high-quality mattress.

Highlighting mattress quality was especially important at this moment because the sleep space is saturated with influencer ads and sponsored posts, making it harder for consumers to know what’s true. People know IKEA for its quality and affordability, so instead of just telling people our mattresses are great quality, we found a way to prove it.

LBB> The decision to use actual sleep talkers to demonstrate mattress quality is hilarious! At what point did you know this was something you’d feasibly be able to pull off?

Geoff> IKEA is known for its signature ‘twinkly’ tone, and from the start, we knew that pulling this off would require an idea that felt genuinely human. So, when sleep talking emerged as a concept, we immediately recognised its potential.

As we developed the campaign, there were plenty of unknowns, but authenticity was our constant. No matter how many variables came into play, we knew that staying true to a sense of genuineness would be key to creating something that truly resonated with consumers.

LBB> From here, what was the planning process like? Considering you had no idea how the shoot would go, and wouldn’t be able to write anything ahead of time, how did you ensure things were set up to go smoothly?

Zachary> The planning for this campaign was different than anything we’ve ever done before. Knowing that we’d be featuring raw footage front and centre, we worked through every part of the process as it came. From ensuring we had the night vision cameras and microphones set up for optimal sound recording, to taking our time sifting through over 90 hours of sleep talking footage, we did our best to set ourselves up for success, but also knew that we’d have to roll with the punches.

LBB> As part of this, how did you actually transform the IKEA North York store into a place for people to actually sleep?

Jonelle> Our stores are made to feel like home, but creating showrooms to encourage real sleep was definitely a new experience! We worked hand in hand with our in-store team in North York to create spaces that actually encouraged real sleep. Working together before and during the shoot, each bedroom was outfitted to create an optimal sleep environment (despite it being in an IKEA store!). And because sleep is so personal, we asked our sleep talkers to wear their own pajamas and bring their own comfort items to help them get a good night's rest.

LBB> With that in mind, what was the actual shooting process like? Did you stay up all night filming?

Geoff> We did stay up! Safe to say that we were all exhausted, but the excitement of not knowing what we were going to capture kept us excited and awake.

Jonelle> In total, we had 10 sleep talkers stay overnight throughout two nights. We were set up in six rooms, with each bedroom dedicated to a single person (or in one case, a couple!). Each room was mic’d, and had multiple cameras to capture various sound bites throughout their sleep.

Back-to-back overnight shoots were definitely an experience, and it’s safe to say that we were all tired by the end. Overall, a lot of us went into the shoot not knowing what to expect, but the results went beyond our expectations. From the funny gibberish to the random mid-dream thoughts, the humour that comes through in the spots is an authentic representation of the fun we had on set.

LBB> What were some of the funniest things said by the sleepers? Were there any particular highlights?

Zachary> Luckily, there wasn’t any swearing or inappropriate sleep talk, so we were able to use all of the best reviews and highlights in the actual spot. From “Dukat dukuk dez dukave” to “party of five”, we had lots of good laughs throughout the shoot that were fun to see in the actual campaign.

Jonelle> Sleep talking is naturally funny, and we had some laughs both at the shoot and during editing. Of course, sleep is very personal, so we did our best not to feature any instances that would be considered embarrassing to our sleep talkers. That being said, we had a lot of fun on set capturing all the wonderfully human parts of sleep, from a relaxed drool to a mid-slumber toot.

LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?

Geoff> For us, the primary challenge that this campaign presented was the unknown of what we were going to capture. But, because the creative relied heavily on real sleep talking, we embraced unpredictability and used the random and unexpected moments to our advantage.

Jonelle> One of the biggest challenges was filming real sleep talkers, because honestly, it was somewhat of a leap of faith with so many variables and unknowns. It was tough to let go and not get wrapped up in trying to predict what would or would not happen. And that's why the casting of the real sleep talkers was also quite different. We took an organic approach to the call, reaching out to friends and colleagues to find people who genuinely sleep talk on a regular basis.

LBB> Since launch, how have people responded?

Zachary> Since launch, responses have been largely positive, with people finding humour as well as connection through the campaign. We’ve also heard from a lot of sleep talkers who have reached out with funny stories and soundbites of their own.

Jonelle> So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with people loving how funny and relatable the campaign is. Canadians appreciate seeing their own experiences reflected in the creative, which has helped drive connection with the brand

LBB> Finally, do you have an element of this project you’re most proud of?

Geoff> Overall, we’re proud of how both the 30-second and 60-second spots came to life. Knowing that we did not plan for most of what ended up in the spots, we feel proud of how those unplanned moments contributed to the overall success of the campaign.

Jonelle> When I think of this campaign, I can't help but smile at how we managed to turn something as universal as sleep talking into something so memorable. From the start, we knew we had a special and unique insight, but bringing it to life was full of many unknowns and variables. I am so proud of everyone involved in this campaign for rolling with the punches, keeping authenticity at the forefront, and crafting something that not only showcases the quality of our products, but also makes Canadians smile in an unexpected way.