Who: Mixtape and Casper.
What: A 30-second TV and online spot, “John Tavares eats, sleeps and breathes hockey.” It’s the second spot in Mixtape’s “Sleep better, hockey harder,” campaign for the online mattress company.
When & Where: The spot launched March 11 across national TV, social media and in-game at Scotiabank Arena.
Why: Casper recently celebrated its fourth anniversary in Canada, and is now in its second year as the “Official Sleep Partner” of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It’s part of an effort to distinguish itself in a highly competitive category. According to market research firm Zion, the global mattress market is expected to grow by 6.5% per year, reaching US$43 billion by 2024.
It’s also a crowded category that is ripe for consolidation, meaning that the stronger brands will come out on top. Which means high-profile marketing. “So far, it’s been a brand-building rather than a mattress-selling race,” said a recent report by DigiDay.
How: The spot continues the creative concept that Tavares, who returned to his native Toronto this season after starting his NHL career with the New York Islanders, literally “eats, breathes and sleeps hockey.” That includes sleeping at the rink, on his Casper mattress.
This time the focus is on the arena’s organ player, who is required to serenade Tavares as he practices (he’s played the “Charge!!” lead-up song 100 times that day, he says). That also includes a bedtime rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
It’s gotta be the mattress: Casper probably isn’t losing any sleep over its decision to tie up with Tavares. He leads the Leafs in goals with 45 (third in the league) and is second on the team in points with 86.
Who is Mixtape: It’s a full-service, digitally-led agency that has been working directly with pro athletes from the NHL, NBA, MLB and beyond since its inception in 2016. The agency produced the Tavares spots from conception to completion.