2019 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

The IKEA SÖMNIG is a multisensorial print ad designed to help people sleep. It’s relevant to the Direct category because we specifically targeted those in the UAE who struggled with their sleep using social listening. The ad was placed in Good magazine, which is all about living well so it seemed like a great way to target those looking to improve their well-being.

Background.

In order to help the people of the UAE get the sleep they need, we created SÖMNIG (Swedish for sleepy). The sleepiest print ad ever made. An ad the emits white noise through a tiny fitted speaker which is scientifically proven to help with sleep.* The ad was printed using lavender infused ink and has an embedded lavender port for longer lasting fragrance. We chose this scent specifically because it’s known to relax and lower heart rate. The ad was designed to be removed from the magazine and positioned next to the bed to induce sleep. Opening the stand activates the sleepy sound waves.SÖMNIG perfectly demonstrates what can be expected from IKEA's range of quality beds and mattresses – a great night of quality sleep.* Sleep Medicine, Volume 6, Issue 5

Describe the creative idea.

SÖMNIG (Swedish for sleepy) is the world’s sleepiest print ad. A multi-sensorial piece of communication that not only advertised the IKEA’s bedroom range, but helped readers experience its benefits as well. The ad was designed to be removed the magazine, and propped on a bedside stand, while tiny speaker emitted white noise, which is scientifically proven to induce sleep. The ad was printed using lavender infused ink and has an embedded lavender port for longer lasting fragrance, known to relax and lower heart rate. SÖMNIG perfectly demonstrates what can be expected from IKEA's range of quality beds and mattresses – a great night of quality sleep.

Describe the strategy.

At the start of the 2018 bedroom campaign, IKEA researched the sleep behaviour of those living in the UAE. The findings showed that **“About nine in ten people in the UAE are not getting the ideal eight hours of sleep a night”. They also found that "a third are seriously deprived, with 32.4% admitting their nightly shut-eye averages only six hours." After identifying that lack of quality sleep was an issue, we set about showing people that IKEA has everything you need for the best night’s sleep with an experiential print ad. The strong call to action that featured throughout the campaign was ‘Upgrade your sleep.’** Source: Gulf News, Health – 18/02/18

Describe the execution.

Implementing SÖMNIG came with some challenges due to the technical nature of the execution. We needed the lavender scent to last longer than a few days, so we added the lavender port. Then, when fitting the tiny speaker, we needed the sound to last through the night, for at least a few days before recharging. This meant increasing the battery size whilst trying to keep the ad as thin as possible. We placed SÖMNIG in the April edition of Good magazine, which is all about living well in the region. It seemed like the perfect place to capture those people looking to upgrade their well-being. In order to target people who were genuinely struggling with their sleep, our social team searched for status updates, tweets and stories where people complained about a lack of sleep. IKEA got in touch and sent them a SÖMNIG to ease their sleep woes.

List the results.

The SÖMNIG ad was part of the bedroom campaign that has 331,409,238 impressions and counting (Source: Carma). The UAE stores enjoyed a 10% increase in bedroom sales compared to the previous year. By combining tech with the traditional medium of print, our flat pack sleeping aid was one of the most talked about print ads of the year. Dr Irshaad Ebrahim from the London Sleep Centre, Harley Street called it, “A refreshingly original idea.” Adweek said it’s “the next best thing to the brand’s beds.” W&V said, “IKEA continues to test the possibilities of print.” Most importantly, we reached out to those suffering from insomnia and helped them with the most important activity of their day. Sleep.