Mattress maker looks for bounce from first TV ad
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A BRITISH manufacturer selling a one-type-fits-all mattress is launching its first television advertising campaign today.
The Hybrid mattress from Simba combines foam with a spring layer – and is delivered rolled up in a box.
The company is backed by Tom Teichman, Britain’s most successful investor in digital start-ups – including Moshi Monsters, Lastminute.com and Notonthehighstreet – and Innocent drinks founder Richard Reed. Created by Sir John Hegarty, of global advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty, who has also backed Simba with investment through his new incubator The Garage Soho, the advert features a mattress being tested and a ‘seductive’ voiceover alluding to the fact that beds are not just used for sleeping in.
US mattress giant Casper is expected to follow suit in a clamour for a share of the UK’s £1billion market with a multimillion pound campaign in August. Reed, who invested through his JamJar Investments company this year, said: ‘The UK mattress market is ripe for innovation. People don’t want the hassle of multiple options when making a purchase.
‘But what you get when you walk into a bed store is confusing advice, fuelling the fear you won’t get a good night’s sleep and a lengthy purchase and delivery process.
‘There is a massive opportunity in the UK for Simba to lead on product innovation and to build a brilliant brand that people will trust and recommend. Not only is it British, but the clever design, packaged in a box with guaranteed next-day delivery, is what people want.’
Simba co-founder James Cox said: ‘We were first on the market when we started, but we knew it wouldn’t always be that way.’
Simba’s mattress comes in five sizes, costing from £399 to £799, and carries a 100-night trial promise and a ten-year guarantee. It is available online and through John Lewis.