“Junk Sleep”: Why Naming The Enemy Works In Marketing

It's no secret that most people don't sleep as much, or as well, as they should. Mattress Firm launched a marketing campaign focused on this reality by naming our lack of quality sleep as “junk sleep”.

The campaign features a series of TV spots designed to remind us of the need for quality sleep and that maybe we didn't wake up on the wrong side of the bed, but in the wrong bed altogether. It's a smart campaign and I love the concept of “junk sleep.” The campaign does conveniently ignore the fact that even having a great mattress won't solve your problem if you don't actually go to sleep at a reasonable time in the first place ... but it's still a clever idea.

The reason it works is that naming the enemy gives people something to point at. A vague sense that you are tired all the time is easy to ignore. “Junk sleep” is not.