Aardman Animation and STORY teamed up for a new commercial for Serta in which the brand’s award-winning Counting Sheep break into a mattress factory in hopes of committing the “Perfect Sleeper” crime.nnConceived by Doner of Southfield Michigan, “Mattress Heist” marks the return of the animated Counting Sheep created by award winning animation studio Aardman, which first appeared in the company’s ads more than a decade ago. In this case, the furry animals break into a factory showroom in a middle-of-the-night caper to “see what Serta’s been up to.” Rifling through company files and computers, they learn that Serta’s Perfect Sleeper is “the only official mattress of the National Sleep Foundation” and has been shown to cure common sleep problems. In hopes of retaining their jobs as sleep inducers to insomniacs, the sheep make off with a mattress on their backs.nn
nnThe spot was filmed at Serta’s headquarters in Hoffman Heights, Illinois. The production crew shot both the interior and exterior of the Serta facility, as well as a number of practical props, including file cabinets, computers and the “hero” queen-size mattress. The animation and finishing was completed by Aardman in Bristol, UK.n nCreditsnTitle: Mattress HeistnClient: Serta.. Andrew Gross, SVP Marketing; Kelly Ellis, Director Integrated Marketing; Matt Whitmer; Manager Creative Services; Steve Klancnik, Rod Jenkins, Leo Kapetanovic and Rich Parker, Research & Development.nnAgency: Doner, Southfield, Mich. Ken Spera, SVP, Creative Director; Mike Brooks, Creative Director; Alexander Page, Producer; Wendy DeWindt; VP Brand Leader; Melissa Zelinski, Brand Leader Production.nnProduction: Aardman Animation, Bristol, UK. Peter Peake, Director; Jason Fletcher-Bartholomew; Senior Producer; Martin Blunden, Technical Director; Maggie O’Connor, Production Coordinator.nnSTORY. Mark Androw, Executive Producer; Rick Rosemeyer, Producer; Mary Langenfeld, Head of Production. n nAbout Aardman AnimationsnAardman, based in Bristol (UK) co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series and television commercials for both the domestic and international market. Their multi-award winning productions are novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm that reflects the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the very special people who make up the Aardman team. The studio’s work is often imitated and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning and amusing independent and commercials productions. www.aardman.comnnSTORY is represented is represented on the East Coast by Laura Zinn (212) 741-0909; in the Midwest by Dawn Ratcliffe (312) 491-9194, in the Southeast by Miller + Associates, (954) 563-6004; in the Southwest by Gossip!, (214) 288-2813 and on the West Coast by Susan Bennett (310) 827-8441.Mark Androw Executive Producer Story 312.642.3173 Contact Mark via email
Contact:Linda Rosner ArtisansPR 310.837.6008 Contact Linda via email
NYF Advertising Awards Open for Entries: Grey New York and New York Festivals Launch ‘No BS Allowed’ Campaign and Plant Seeds of Growth
The New York Festivals Advertising Awards is now officially open for entries for the 2025 competition. Grey New York has teamed up with New York Festivals Advertising Awards to unveil a bold new creative campaign, titled “No BS Allowed,” for the show’s 2025 awards season. The campaign serves as a call for entries, challenging the advertising industry to reject superficiality and focus on creating work that truly matters. The New York Festivals Advertising Awards, known for celebrating the world’s most innovative and impactful advertising, is taking a hard stance against the industry’s reliance on inflated metrics, fabricated buzz, and empty results. In this provocative campaign, these industry conventions are reimagined as something more tangible and valuable: fertilizer for growth. Thiago Cruz, Chief Creative Officer at Grey New York. “New York is famously known for not putting up with BS, so we’re ensuring our festival stands for that too. We’re looking for work that truly drives both cultural and business value for clients.” The campaign humorously relabels case studies' so-called "BS" with sharp accuracy, exposing the elements that undermine true creativity:
- Made-up tweets
- Inflated number of impressions
- Lots and lots of positive sentiment