After a Three-Year Hiatus, Madison Avenue Advertising Icons the Counting Sheep are Baaaack to re-launch the new Perfect Sleeper.
(DETROIT – May 12, 2015) – Serta, the #1 mattress manufacturer in the United States, launched a new integrated marketing campaign today, created by its lead creative agency Doner, that includes advertising, social promotion and public relations initiatives to support the launch of the new Perfect Sleeper mattress. The campaign revives the relationship between the Counting Sheep and Serta. Now that the new Perfect Sleeper helps solve five commons sleep problems, couples are ending their relationship with the Counting Sheep and everyone is getting quality sleep. The campaign, titled “It’s Over,” is the biggest Perfect Sleeper campaign from Serta and will reach the brand’s target consumer wherever she is consuming media including across video, content, digital, mobile, social and search platforms. It debuted today with a 30-second commercial airing nationally, which can be viewed here.
“We know a good night sleep is essential to our target audience, as she packs a lot into her day, but often wakes up feeling anything but refreshed,” said Andrew Gross, Senior Vice President of Marketing. “We felt this was the perfect time to bring back the loveable Counting Sheep to illustrate how the Perfect Sleeper mattress addresses the five most common sleep problems so people don’t have to count sheep again. By combining humor with an innovative product story, the campaign further distinguishes our position in the category and extends our brand promise of comfort.”
The 30-second launch commercial “We Need to Talk,” opens in a bedroom with the Counting Sheep earnestly jumping over a small wooden fence at the foot of a couple’s bed. It appears as if the Counting Sheep have successfully put the man and woman to sleep when suddenly, the couple sits up with the woman saying to the stunned flock, “We need to talk.” She reluctantly admits that they have a new Serta Perfect Sleeper and have actually been “fake counting” them for months.
Like anyone who finds out their partner has been faking it, the Counting Sheep are shocked. They are then regretfully informed that the couple’s Serta Perfect Sleeper, is so comfortable their services are no longer required.
“You know things aren’t good when you hear the fateful words we need to talk,” said Ken Spera, SVP, Creative Director, Doner. “For over 15 years, people have connected the Counting Sheep with Serta and we’re thrilled to reconnect the brand to the herd with Serta’s distinctive style of humor. The beautifully odd combination of film director John Hamburg’s unique approach to humor and Aardman’s award-winning animation skills helped to capture and bring the exact vision we had to life.”
“Aside from a few demanding and temperamental sheep, I had a blast working with the talented folks at Aardman and Doner to create a funny and original new campaign for Serta,” said director John Hamburg.