This Sinai Health Foundation Campaign Puts People to Sleep... Intentionally

It’s three in the morning. Are you, like many menopausal women, wide awake again?

​Sinai Health Foundation and independent creative agency Diamond are hoping to help with a campaign intentionally designed to be boring.

'InsomniAds', the latest creative extension of Sinai Health Foundation’s 'Hot and Bothered' platform, features a series of ultra-dull audio ads that double as bedtime stories. The work offers a cheeky but compassionate response to the very real struggle of menopause-related sleep loss.

With nearly 50% of menopausal women experiencing insomnia, the campaign serves up snoozy content in the hopes of helping them finally get a good night’s sleep. Each story is delivered in a calm, monotone voice that’s equal parts dull and oddly comforting:

'Firmware Installation': Nothing’s more snoozy than a man in your life overexplaining a firmware update. For women suffering from menopause-related insomnia, this ‘story’ might just help you drift off again.

Opening line: “Listen to this, there’s a new firmware update for our router that I installed today.”

'Fantasy Football': Up late and staring at the ceiling? Here’s a man detailing his fantasy football picks – perfect for making your eyes heavy and your thoughts fade away.

Opening line: “So the guys and I started our fantasy football league tonight. Two-hundred dollars all in for a pretty big win at the end of the season.”

'Accounting Software': What can help women up late with menopausal insomnia? A man’s boring recount of his new accounting software. Press play and fall back asleep.

Opening line: “The other day I was auditing a client, using a new software that processes numbers at speeds you would not believe.”

'Office Pizza Party': Insomnia during menopause is no joke. Need help falling back asleep? Let this man walk you through every tedious detail of a workplace pizza lunch.

Opening line: “I haven’t told you about that pizza lunch we had at the office the other day, have I? Well, Dave organised it for Sandra’s – or, no, I mean, Rebecca’s departure.”

“Unbearable insomnia is something far too many women quietly endure,” said Rebecca Flaman, executive vice-president at Diamond. “We wanted to meet the moment with empathy, creativity, and a bit of humour. By responding with something intentionally and painfully dull, we’re offering some relief while shining a light on the bigger issue. It’s one part awareness, one part coping mechanism, and 100% boring by design.”

The 'Hot and Bothered' brand platform, launched in 2024 by Sinai Health Foundation in partnership with creative agency Diamond, aims to break the silence around menopause and raise support for the creation of Canada’s first Centre for Mature Women’s Health at Mount Sinai Hospital. With a fundraising goal of $50 million, the campaign seeks to close the gender gap in care, research, and awareness.

“We know this isn’t a cure, but it’s a conversation starter,” said Lori Davison, chief strategy officer at Diamond. “We hope that these stories not only help women fall back asleep, but also help wake the world up to the fact that menopause deserves serious attention, research, and investment.”

To reach women when they need it most, the 'InsomniAds' are running overnight between two and five in the morning as YouTube pre-rolls, and across social media.