LANE KEEPING BED

TitleLANE KEEPING BED
BrandFORD OF EUROPE
Product/ServiceLANE KEEPING BED
Category A05. Health & Wellness Tech
Entrant GTB London, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation GTB London, UNITED KINGDOM
Media Placement GTB London, UNITED KINGDOM
PR FORD OF EUROPE London, UNITED KINGDOM
Production ESPADAYSANTACRUZ STUDIO Madrid, SPAIN
Credits
Name Company Position
Julian Watt GTB Chief Creative Officer
Lazaros Nikiforidis GTB Executive Creative Director
Bryn Attewell GTB Creative Group Head
Alexandru Vasile GTB Associate Creative Director
Marcos Almirante GTB Associate Creative Director
Yan Cucco GTB Art Director
Felipe Faria GTB Senior Art Director

Why is this work relevant for PR?

Sleep is a basic human need. But no one is getting enough of it and sleep deprivation is a problem to our physical, mental and emotional health. For many, the primary cause is their partner, as we make 12 to 20 major positional changes during the night. To transform this into a story and encourage couples to talk, we created the Lane Keeping Bed, an everyday object, to solve this everyday problem. The smart bed, inspired by Ford technology, became instant news and sparked conversations on TV, newspapers and social media, about sharing a bed and the importance of sleep.

Background

Ford is one of the leaders in automotive technology, but it’s not perceived as one. Though it offers cutting-edge systems in all its cars, these technologies rarely make the headlines. In this context, the brief was to solve an everyday problem, by creating an everyday object powered by our technology, showing it in a human, engaging way. The objective was to get both people and the press excited about Ford’s innovative Lane Keeping Aid, while helping people understand the importance of sleep.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

We took Ford’s new Lane-Keeping Aid technology out of the car to solve a real-life problem: bed hoggers, the people who take over most the bed’s surface in their sleep. So, Ford created The Lane-Keeping Bed, world’s first smart bed designed to keep each partner on their side. Using a revolving mattress, motion control and pressure sensors, the bed automatically adjusts, keeping everyone in their lane. Just like the system keeps cars. For best impact, Ford Lane-Keeping Bed was launched on Valentine’s Day, sparking a world-wide debate about sharing a bed and the importance of sleep.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Sleep deprivation rarely makes it into the news. To open a conversation about the importance of sleep and encourage the world to talk about it, we took the tech out of the car to solve an everyday problem people really care about. According to doctor Neil Stanley, sleep expert, we move unconsciously during the night, making 12 to 20 major positional changes, sometimes taking over most of the bed. This can lead to sleep deprivation, a problem for our physical, mental and emotional health. So, Ford created the Lane Keeping Bed, designed to keep each partner on their side, the same way it keeps cars in their lane. The smart bed mirrored the benefits of the car system into an everyday object. Alongside the actual prototype, we’ve also created assets to support the press release, which included a film that featured couples and a sleep expert.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

To encourage conversation about the importance of sleep, we’ve created the Lane Keeping Bed. A smart bed designed to keep each partner on their side, just like Ford’s technology keeps cars in their lane. Using pressure sensors, the bed detects if a partner moved into the other’s sleeping space, and the revolving mattress with motion control gently moves them back to their position. A film presented the smart bed, alongside couples and the opinion of doctor Neil Stanley, worldwide renowned sleep expert, who warned that sleep deprivation can have serious health consequences. For big impact, we launched the campaign on Valentine’s Day, one of the most romantic days of the year. Ford’s Lane Keeping Bed started a worldwide conversation, with media outlets from all areas of expertise picking up the story. From UK newspapers to US TV shows and social media, the offline and online coverage was extensive.

List the results (30% of vote)

The Lane Keeping Bed generated over 1000 traditional media stories across the world. From US morning shows or evening news, to UK newspapers or social media, the offline and online coverage was extensive. The videos generated over 7.5 million views on social media, with a huge engagement rate of over 34%. The Lane Keeping Bed gathered over 4.4 billion impressions, so it was a world-wide hit. The importance of sleep became a story worth telling, and people loved it. The Lane Keeping Bed improved brand awareness and perception and got millions of people to talk about how they share a bed.