Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Apple Co-Founder Helps Mattress Firm Start Marketing Campaign
May 10,
2017 by Larry Thomas in Advertising, Bedding, Industry, Product 
Mattress Firm enlisted tech icon Steve Wozniak to help launch a new marketing campaign that touts technology in an unexpected place – the mattress.
Wozniak, a founder of Apple and inventor of the Apple II computer, joined Mattress Firm CEO Ken Murphy to unveil the campaign during the keynote address at the retailer’s annual leadership conference in Houston.
Named “Technology to Power Off,” the campaign will showcase the Serta iComfort TempTouch and the Beautyrest Black Hybrid with the same fanfare associated with new technology launches, said Sicily Dickenson, chief marketing officer.
"As a society, we line up for technology that keeps you constantly connected, yet we long for the ability to power off,” said Dickenson, “Our partners at Serta Simmons Bedding continue to produce innovative products at an incredible value that are designed to do just that.”
The campaign will feature national and local TV, radio, and digital distribution. Droga5 is the creative agency behind the campaign.
"Mattress Firm is in constant pursuit of solutions to help Americans sleep better and offer our customers a curated selection of the best sleep products," said Murphy. "The collaborative partnership between SSB and Mattress Firm brings together renowned industry expertise and creates unparalleled choice and innovative products to help our guests get the best night's sleep."
The Serta iComfort TempTouch is a high-tech memory foam mattress with breakthrough cooling technology that allows the user to sleep in cool comfort. The TempActiv Technology is an advanced temperature regulation system that dissipates excess heat while you sleep.
The Simmons Beautyrest Black Hybrid is a high-tech mattress that combines memory foam with individually wrapped coils supported by triple-stranded Advanced Pocketed Coil Technology.
In addition to the launch of the marketing campaign, Mattress Firm announced a pilot program with the makers of the Purple Bed, a bed-in-a-box product that has been sold exclusively online since the company’s founding in January 2016.
"Purple has experienced tremendous success reaching customers online. However, there is an even greater opportunity when you intersect online with offline tactile store experience,” said Sam Bernards, CEO of Purple. “Mattress Firm is the largest brick-and-mortar specialty mattress retailer in the country and they are phenomenal at what they do. A partnership between Purple and Mattress Firm allows each company to do what they do best while reaching new and wider markets.”
The Purple Bed features the company’s patented Hyper-Elastic Polymer that responds to pressure without making sleepers compromise between soft or firm.
"The Purple Bed offers people something more powerful and unique than any other bed-in-a-box company," said Dickenson. "The product is backed by proven innovative technology. We're excited to offer people the opportunity to try a Purple Bed and purchase these products in our stores."