Sleep Country answered IKEA’s “u up?” DM over the weekend with a message of its own: “Sorry was asleep.”

On Monday, IKEA responded to the response.

When asked about Sleep Country’s billboards, Jonelle Ricketts, head of marketing for IKEA Canada, tells strategy: “We’re thrilled to see our creativity inspiring others. It’s been incredible to see the positive response from consumers and other brands jumping in on the fun. And most importantly, we’re glad that other brands feel that sleep should be a priority as much as we do.”

The text tiff started on the night of Feb. 14, when IKEA sent direct messages on Instagram to selected Canadians who were awake, offering them a free mattress. Dubbed the “u up?” campaign, IKEA used the social stunt to capture the attention of those looking for better sleep solutions while also highlighting the brand in a competitive market.

About 500 messages were sent to Canadians who were awake and scrolling Instagram between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Some users were offered a free mattress, while all were notified of a 15% discount on mattresses and sleep products.

IKEA’s initial campaign was done in collaboration with Rethink and was supported by social-media promotion and OOH ads.

Just over a week later, Sleep Country responded with a DM-style campaign of its own, rolling out strategic OOH billboards on the Gardiner Expressway near the IKEA location in Etobicoke, Ont., as well as in Montreal. Sleep Country is boosting the campaign across its social-media platforms.

In collaboration with Publicis Canada, the campaign emphasizes the message to consumers that with Sleep Country, “you’re assured an uninterrupted night’s rest, which is why those who enjoy our products never even notice IKEA’s DMs because a good night sleep is the ultimate do-not-disturb mode,” Publicis says.

Nuno Bamberg, senior VP of brand and marketing for Sleep Country, tells strategy the campaign was not a response for the sake of responding, or an attempt to confront IKEA: “It was about reminding people that great sleep is the real win. If someone is up late engaging with DMs, they might need help from our sleep experts more than they realize.”

While it was a quick turnaround, crafting a response within a week was not the challenge, Bamberg points out. “The challenge isn’t speed – it’s clarity,” he says. “We move fast, but never at the expense of staying true to what we believe … We were just owning the conversation in a way that felt effortless and true to us. When sleep is your purpose, the right response comes naturally.”

Vini Dalvi, CCO of Publicis Toronto, tells strategy it was important to strike when the iron was hot. “There was plenty of buzz when that work dropped, and we knew that whatever we did, it needed to land when ‘u up?’ was still fresh in people’s minds,” Dalvi says. “We’re evolving as a brand to be more agile and more playful, all in an ongoing effort to remain relevant to Canadians. That includes our tone, and how and where we show up. In this case, we saw an opportunity to have some fun and gently nudge a competitor with a bit of a wink and a smile.”

Bamberg acknowledges that more brands like IKEA are bringing sleep into the conversation, saying Sleep Country welcomes the competition, “Especially when it’s done in a clever and engaging way.” “Although, (IKEA’s campaign) was not necessarily in the most sleep-friendly way. Our response – ‘Sorry, was asleep’ – wasn’t about outdoing anyone. It was a simple yet meaningful way to reinforce what we stand for: the best way to engage with late-night messages isn’t to reply – it’s to be sleeping well.”