Forty Winks Tames the Horror of ‘The Unslept’ in Epic Brand Relaunch with Akcelo
Australia’s leading bedding retail specialist Forty Winks is on a mission to help millions of sleep-deprived Aussies ‘Go to better sleep’ with its first brand refresh in six years, created by recently-appointed brand experience agency Akcelo.
The new brand positioning has been launched with a new campaign which introduces viewers to ‘The Unslept’ - a zombie-like horde of sleep-deprived people representing the near 50% of Australian adults who report at least two recurring sleep issues.
In its hero brand film directed by Rabbit co-founder Owen Trevor Black, we see Mouth Breathers, Side Sleepers, Toss ‘n’ Turners, Cover Snatchers, Hot Sleepers, Doom Scrollers and more descend ominously on a Forty Winks store and the team inside.
The staff put their expertise and Forty Winks’ patented bedMATCH® technology to good use, working calmly together to solve the respective sleep challenges of “The Unslept”, tailoring world-class products and sleep solutions to suit their needs.
Aden Hepburn, CEO of Akcelo, said, “Poor sleep is a serious topic… but it’s also ripe for comedy. With ‘The Unslept’ we have found an incredible creative vehicle to tackle Australia’s sleep problem in a disarming and memorable way. We have no doubt that every Australian will see themselves – or a loved one – in one of these characters.”
Damian Lucas, national advertising and marketing manager at Forty Winks, said, “We are thrilled to launch our first brand refresh since 2019, beginning with the release of ‘The Unslept’ film. Forty Winks has been serious about sleep for almost 40 years and the new campaign perfectly encapsulates the vision for our next chapter – to help Australians ‘Go to better sleep’.
“The film concept and creative is unlike anything we’ve done before, and it was a joy to work with our talented partners to help bring it to life. We look forward to continuing to expand on the stories of ‘The Unslept’ characters and elevating our sleep promises to new and existing customers in the months and years to come.”
The campaign is currently running across TV, Video on Demand, OOH, radio, social, monthly retail and within Aussie fan-favourite renovation reality TV competition The Block.
Simon McCrudden, strategy partner at Akcelo, explained, “Poor sleep is one of the major health issues facing Aussies, and with their sleep science and staff expertise, Forty Winks is able to promise everyone a better sleep, no matter what their sleep issue is. In answering this brief, we needed to find a way to demonstrate these proof points whilst also giving the brand a unique voice in the category that reinforces Forty Winks’ leadership in the sleep category.”
With more than 100 family owned and operated stores in all major cities, Forty Winks is one of Australia’s longest standing and most iconic sleep specialists. The ‘Go to better sleep’ campaign and its ‘Unslept’ characters via Akcelo mark a new chapter for the heritage brand.
