IKEA is reminding Canadians about the importance of sleep and why they need to prioritize it, something that has become harder for individuals amidst the anxieties and fears brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The furniture retailer is once again highlighting sleep solutions like blackout curtains and comfortable textiles that’ll help Canadians get a good night’s sleep for its annual “Sleep Event.” Last year’s campaign by Rethink showed people staying up late, engaged with their devices and binging TV shows, but this year’s shows people who actually want to sleep but are having difficulties, with outside lighting peering into their bedrooms as they toss and turn. To help them, Jonas Fornander – a frequent star of the retailer’s ads – sings a cover of the 90’s Eurodance song “Sweet Dreams,” which is not effective as a lullaby but has been adapted to tell them about the IKEA products that could make getting to bed a bit easier.

https://youtu.be/H64BJAPXd8o

An ad in the French version of the national campaign features the Quebecois song “T’es dans la lune” as the soundtrack instead.

The “Sleep Event” has been a promo priority for IKEA before. In addition to last year’s “Night Owls” spot, it ran a program called “Bedtime,” in which the retailer targeted ads to people up late on YouTube, letting them know how long until their local IKEA location opened so they could buy new bedroom furniture that would help them get a night’s rest.

But sleep deprivation is an issue that may be even more top of mind for consumers during the pandemic. The Government of Canada notes that one in four adults aged 18 to 34 and one in three adults aged 35 to 64 are getting less than seven hours of sleep a night. International studies have been launched to track just how much COVID-19 lockdowns have impacted sleep patterns, as anecdotal evidence shows people are finding it harder to sleep, between financial and safety stress, using bedrooms for more than just sleep or staying up later bingeing TV shows.

“Our bedrooms have become multi-purpose spaces during this time – we use them as home offices and gyms, but we forget they’re a place to get a good night’s rest,” says Lena Dukic, director of marketing at IKEA Canada. Aside from curtains and bedsheets, Dukic notes that even bedroom storage bins to put items in can provide “a clear mind before hitting the pillow,” helping de-clutter spaces and cut down on increased stress levels.

“IKEA puts this particular emphasis on sleep because it recognizes the importance of it in making our everyday lives better,” says Shereen Ladha, strategy director at Rethink, referencing the message of the retailer’s “Beautiful Possibilities” brand positioning. “We all know what the possibilities of our bedrooms could be – a space of calm, peace, and quality sleep. But this isn’t always easy to achieve with life’s distractions getting in the way.”

This campaign will have a national presence supported with TV, online video, radio, social, digital and OOH. Carat handled the media buy.