Silentnight Beds: How the Hippo and the Duck Advertising Campaign Helped to Rebuild Silentnight's Business

Research showed low consumer awareness and interest in beds. Objective: to differentiate the Silentnight Beds brand from its competitors and to reverse declining share. Strategy involved promoting a new mattress which had significant consumer benefits. Media: TV (3 area test), national press. National roll-out followed in 1987 with the addition of posters and in-store display. Evaluation: reversed a 5 year decline in market share. Mattress was the biggest selling premium product in the UK bed market, accounting for 50% of turnover. Silentnight outperformed the market. It is argued the new product (mattress) could not have worked without the advertising. Characters used in the advertising were deemed effective.