Silentnight Beds holds £8m pitch
Silentnight Beds, the UK’s largest bed manufacturer, is launching a pitch for its media account after increasing its advertising spend from less than £1m to £8m.
It has also appointed Mortimer Whittaker O’Sullivan to handle its creative business.
The dramatic increase in ad spend reflects Silentnight’s intention to return to TV advertising after a three-year break.
The media pitch has not yet begun, but incumbent Feather Brooksbank will be invited to repitch, according to Silentnight Beds marketing manager Samantha Kiel.
Mortimer Whittaker O’Sullivan was awarded the creative account after a four-way pitch which did not include the incumbent Edinburgh-based The Leith Agency.
Kiel confirms the brand’s hippo and duck characters will remain central to Silentnight’s advertising. She says: “The agency presented a creative interpretation that will inject humour into the brand, making our hippo and duck icons even more memorable.”
The new campaign will run across TV, outdoor and consumer press.
The company’s pre-tax profits for 1999 leapt from £16.3m to £40m on the back of selling some of its businesses – springmaker Wellhouse and its US division. The company is keen to make acquisitions in the design and furniture industry.
