IKEA has pulled out all the stops for Australia’s worst sleeper, Jack Ngu. On October 1, for a full 24 hours, they provided him with a sleep billboard at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay. It was basically a massive, glass-sided box that was completely decked out with everything you’d expect in a bedroom: a bed, wardrobe, armchair and coffee table, plus a variety of activities to keep him busy and help him relax.
With over 50 years of experience selling sleep solutions in Australia, the purpose of the campaign was to demonstrate that even the worst sleepers will have a good night’s sleep on an IKEA mattress.
They live-streamed Jack on TikTok and invited everyone to go visit him in person. But what nobody expected was for Forty Winks to join in on the fun and gatecrash their campaign.
Watch the IKEA billboard
The war of the mattresses
While Jack was in the sleep billboard, Forty Winks decided to hijack the party.
A delivery driver roamed the streets of Circular Quay in search of Australia’s worst sleeper, and when they found him, they opened their delivery truck to reveal a big, comfy Forty Winks mattress.
“We’ve got a delivery… Do you need a new mattress? We’re Forty Winks, we’re serious about sleep, so if you’re Australia’s worst sleeper, we need to deliver the mattress. We’ll give you a good night’s sleep. This is like the best sleep you can get,” said the delivery driver.
It’s safe to say that Jack said no to the mattress, but the delivery driver added: “He really wanted the mattress, but they wouldn’t let him have it. Looks like they weren’t serious about sleep, like Forty Winks is.”
Then Forty Winks tried something else. They dressed up with signs on their back saying “Unlock your dreams, no Allen key required.” They stayed well into the evening with a boombox playing their jingle as they walked around, advertising their mattresses.
Watch the Forty Winks takeover
How did IKEA respond, you may wonder. Well, they took it as a compliment.
Patricia Routledge, Head of Communications at IKEA Australia, said: “We’re incredibly flattered that our Sleep Billboard has caught the attention of not only everyday Aussies looking for a better night’s sleep, but also our competitors, who rushed to get in on the action on Sydney Harbour yesterday.
“At IKEA, we know from our recent research that 90% of Aussies are still tired despite sleeping for seven hours or more, and that it takes more than 40 winks to get a good night’s sleep. We invite customers to come to see us for all their sleep needs to help them get the shut-eye they’ve been missing out on.”
They also commented on Forty Winks’ Instagram video, saying, “Soz, been busy napping. Thanks for the offer, but we’ve got this one covered.”
Everyone in the comments went crazy, calling it “cheeky” and “iconic”.
But the question still remains, whose mattress offers the best sleep? While that question may remain unanswered, if you’re on the hunt for a mattress, whether it’s a king mattress, affordable mattress, memory foam mattress or mattress for back pain, we have the best suggestions.