Saatchi creates 'sleep exchange offer' with Springwel

Following the recent win of Springwel, Saatchi & Saatchi conceptualized an innovative idea, forcing consumers to think not just what they are ‘buying’ but what they are ‘buying into’. The issue at the very heart of consumerism is to make the act of consumption itself a ‘Force of Good’. The act of buying a mattress has been made into an act of good in the new “sleep exchange” idea.

 

Springwel mattresses wanted to give its potential customers an innovative exchange offer wherein they could exchange their old mattresses for a new one at a discount. The new “sleep exchange” idea fitted well with this requirement adding a touch of compassion to the purchase.

 

The idea came from the insight that over eight crore Indians are homeless - half of them children. They sleep anywhere they can- on pavements, under flyovers, on railway platforms, at bus stops and on park benches.

 

Saatchi & Saatchi team believes that many small acts can go towards addressing a large problem. In partnership with Springwel, the agency decided to galvanise people to do their bit. The offer? The campaign asked consumer to exchange their old mattress for a new Springwel mattress. Besides giving the customer a discount, the Brand also tied up with NGOs running shelters for the homeless, and donated the old mattresses to them.

 

To support his project, the message was spread via social media, instead of mainstream broadcast media.  To begin with, a film was created showing three street children going back to their regular place to sleep after a hard days’ work. As they reach the place, they find it littered with garbage. They clean the place and lay newspapers, and pieces of cardboard which act as mattresses, just to have a good night’s sleep. Besides this viral video, Team Saatchi has been keeping Facebook users informed about on-going activities and uploading actual stories of homeless people and how they reached where they are.

 

Besides Point of Purchase, on-ground activities have also been initiated. Using part of the pavement on Marine Drive as a canvas, four artists created a larger-than-life chalk illustration of a homeless kid sleeping on the pavement. In the five hours that it took to complete the illustration, thousands saw, photographed and shared the message via social media. The next Street Art will happen sometime next week. Team Saatchi is also planning to have a wall painting project on the same lines next week in New Delhi. Also on the anvil is a photography contest cum exhibition with the homeless as a theme. This will be open to all, and will be judged by a panel of eminent photojournalists.

 

“We loved the suggestion of our advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, to donate these old, but serviceable, mattresses to shelters for the homeless, allowing us to repurpose mattress for a larger good.” says Paramjeet Singh, Managing Director, Springwel.

 

Jaibeer Ahmad, Vice President, Saatchi & Saatchi, Delhi, says that the idea reflects Saatchi’s philosophy of turning brands into Lovemarks.  “Instead of relying on ‘-er’ (better, thicker, softer) product benefits, Springwel will now be looked upon a brand that wants to make a difference to the larger community.”

 

Says Ramanuj Shastry, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, “It was a joy to work with a brave client. They gave us a free hand in almost everything – from conceptualization to execution. I sincerely hope to do more path breaking work for them in future.”