Nectar Sleep gets it. Science sells.
Late last month, Nectar launched a YouTube ad featuring Mayim Bialik, who probably is best known for her portrayal of neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler in the CBS sitcom "The Big Bang Theory"—though, to me, she'll always be Blossom Russo.
The new ad is intended to build on the success of the bed-in-a-box mattress firm's "Make America Sleep Again" ad, a two-minute video that combined the science of sleep with humor and a few animated brains, several of which are modeled after world leaders. The ad recorded more than 11.8 million views and earned a #TheYouTubeAd nomination.
The little CGI brain makes its return in Bialik's new ad, but is joined this time by a CGI heart, giving the firm a new way to share facts behind sleep science. It's finding the right combination of humor and scientific fact that's at the core of the campaign.
"Nectar is all about giving its customers a good night's sleep, and we try to get that message across in a funny and creative way," Gil Efrati, Nectar Sleep's chief marketing officer, said in a news release. "For this ad, we weren't looking for a celebrity just for the sake of having one. We wanted a partner who really understood our message that better sleep is important."
Bialik, the firm felt, was the perfect person. Sure, she's well-known but she also holds a Ph.D. in neurobiology from UCLA. Her doctorate, completed in the fall of 2007, examined the role of oxytocin and vasopressin in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome.
"We believe," Efrati said, "that taking Mayim's passion for all things science and combining it with a brand she believes in, can get us into our customers' hearts (and brains)."
Since Tuft & Needle first introduced the bed-in-a-box concept in 2012, the market for online-purchased, vacuum-sealed, home-delivery mattresses has become rather competitive. According to Consumer Reports, the direct-to-home mattress market accounts for at least 12 percent of the of mattress market today and that share continues to grow.
As bed-in-a-box mattress makers compete for the spotlight and continue to take on traditional mattress firms, marketing has become a critical component to success.
Nectar seems to have found its niche.