SIMMONS COMPANY'S CRUSADE FOR BETTER SLEEP COMES TO LIFE WITH NEW AD/MARKETING CREATIVE

Furniture World Magazine

The gates of "Simmons County" are opening. With the launch of a new multi-million dollar television ad campaign May 18, Atlanta-based Simmons Company is introducing the Simmons County creative platform to reinforce its company mission to offer the world higher quality sleep. This new initiative, an innovative approach to advertising within the bedding industry, focuses on the benefits of sleeping on a Simmons mattress versus traditional bedding advertisements that focus on the physical features of the product. Simmons County is a fictional place where people live happy, productive and alert lives because of the higher quality sleep they get by sleeping on a Simmons product. The new ads, which were created by Atlanta-based advertising agency, BBDO South, under the leadership of Art Mellor, executive vice president/executive creative director, are influenced by real-life sleep research conducted in Sleepy Hollow, NY where participants noted significant life enhancement because of the quality of sleep they received after sleeping on a Simmons mattress. To celebrate the debut of Simmons County, Simmons Company has invested in high profile television spots on the four major networks during: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, 48 Hours, Fox Night at the Movies and the season finale of Frasier. "Anyone watching television on May 18th will be introduced to Simmons County," says Don Hofmann, senior vice president of marketing, Simmons Company. " We're excited to reveal the first of our creative spots that bring Simmons' philosophy of Better Sleep Through Science to life. This is the first of many layers of Simmons County creative that will be channeled to consumers, retailers and even internally." With a hint of humor, the television ads, which are focused on the new Beautyrest 2000, carry the underlying message that people are obsessed with the benefits of sleep and sleeping on their Simmons mattresses. The ad that will launch the campaign -"Gossip"- shows residents of Simmons County "gossiping" about a neighbor getting the area's first mattress. Another ad entitled "Flopper," shows people admitting they toss and turn during the night, keeping their partners awake. This ad highlights the effectiveness of the Beautyrest 2000, which reduces the transfer of partner tossing and turning up to 300 percent better than other brands. "The launch of Simmons County as a concept is a symbol of Simmons' dedication to providing consumers sleep that counts," said Chris Hall, president and CEO of BBDO South. "The Beautyrest 2000 is the most significant innovation in the mattress industry in 75 years, and from the beginning, we understood that the campaign to promote the product would need to be just as significant." In an effort to reach a broader consumer market, Simmons will expand its ad rotation to include network morning news and cable television stations. In addition, Simmons County ads for the BackCare brand will run in consumer publications including Ladies' Home Journal; Self; Men's Health; Better Homes & Gardens; Health; Fitness and Cooking Light. These ads support BackCare's strategy as a lifestyle-enhancing tool for the residents of Simmons County. Simmons County Retailers The theme of the new ads will filter to retailers with even more in-store tools when communicating with consumers. New Simmons County point-of-purchase displays will help reinforce the messages delivered in the television ads and will include the campaign's logo - a welcome sign that reads: "Welcome to Simmons County – where sleep counts." Instead of using the traditional methods of selling mattresses by highlighting price point and product size, retailers can use the concepts behind the new campaign to continue to showcase Simmons products as a way to achieve a better quality of life through better sleep. Maker of Simmons Beautyrest,, BackCare,, Deep Sleep by Beautyrest,, and DreamScapes', Atlanta-based Simmons Company employs more than 2,500 people and operates 18 plants throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Simmons is committed to helping consumers attain a higher quality of sleep and supports that mission through its Better Sleep Through Science™ philosophy, which includes developing superior mattresses and promoting a sound and smart sleep routine. For more information, consumers can visit the company's new Web site at www.simmons.com. With 1999 billings of more than $333 million, BBDO South serves such clients as Simmons Co., RealEstate.com, Bayer Pursell, Carolina Power & Light, Georgia Natural Gas Services, Cox Communications, Flipside.com, Advance America, Iberia Airlines, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Dodge Dealers Advertising Association (Southeast region). BBDO Worldwide is the third largest global agency network, with worldwide billings of $13.5 billion.