In its latest marketing campaign, IKEA decided to put its mattresses to the test in a “first-of-its-kind social experiment” by inviting a select group of sleep-talkers to review them while sleeping. While amusing, the results were rather… inconclusive.

About the experiment

The “Sleep Talk Reviews” were held over a two-day period in the North York IKEA in Toronto. Participants slept on IKEA’s Åkrehamn and Vågstranda mattresses and were recorded with hidden microphones and cameras to capture raw, real-time “reviews.” Over 90 hours of “product review footage” was captured during the experiment. Geoff Bailie, one of the group creative directors at Rethink, the agency behind the project, stated,

“Going into the shoot, we had no idea what we were going to capture, but in the end it was that authenticity of the real sleep talkers that helped this campaign come to life in an interesting and insightful way.”

In addition to creating a 60-second video ad with the sleep-talking footage, IKEA plans to use smaller soundbites and video segments to create Spotify advertisements, radio spots, and short-form social media content. The campaign is also being featured on a billboard outside IKEA’s Toronto store.

IKEA’s broader marketing strategy

Following the release of Sleep Talk Reviews, Head of IKEA Canada’s marketing, Jonelle Ricketts, commented on the brand’s image and strategy:

“At IKEA, we’re always exploring creative ways to connect Canadians with affordable everyday solutions that help them to get a good night’s rest and improve their overall life at home. With Sleep Talk Reviews, we captured real, unscripted moments to show – quite literally – how comfortable our mattresses are.”

This isn’t the first time the furniture brand has employed unorthodox humor in its marketing. Earlier this year, the IKEA Instagram account started DM-ing users who were on the app late at night and offered some of them free or discounted mattresses if they responded.

Zachary Bautista, another group creative director at Rethink, said the new campaign fits well with IKEA’s overarching brand image and marketing approach:

“The relationship between sleep talking and a good night’s sleep is something that felt both fresh and humorous, tapping into the tone that IKEA has become known for.”

See the ad for yourself:

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