Wakefit turns to AI to transform Ayushmann Khurrana into a kid for its latest campaign

Prateek Malpani, head of brand marketing, Wakefit, reveals the whys and how's of this kiddish campaign.

A cursory glance at today's mattress ads, shows similar themes, like sleeping well, improving your sleep cycle, among other things. However, leading home and sleep solutions brand Wakefit has tried to break through the clutter with its latest campaign, in which it has embraced the artificial intelligence (AI) wave.

Titled ‘Andar ke bacche ko jaga’, the ad features brand ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana.

The brand has used AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney, as a daily part of its marketing activities earlier, however this is the first time we’re seeing an AI-generated character in Wakefit ads.

How powerful will this AI version of Khurrana be for the brand?

“Mattress ads are what they are because nobody has experimented beyond feature or product-level marketing. We could have made mattresses a commodity in our ads too, but we didn’t do that. We wanted to concentrate on the core benefit of a good mattress, which is sleeping peacefully,” says Prateek Malpani, head of brand marketing, Wakefit.

He explains that the brand wanted to create clutter-breaking content and so, it brought AI into the picture. The core insight was that the brand wanted to extend the idea of sleep.

“We spoke to our consumers and did some research. The insight that came out was - what does a mattress really do to a person? Many of our consumers mentioned that they’re a much better version of themselves when they sleep healthier. They’re more productive, enthusiastic and energetic.”

“We all have heard stories on how all of this reminded us of our younger selves. We took a leap from there and imagined what Ayushmann, who’s known to do out-of-the-box projects, is able to do because he sleeps well on a Wakefit mattress. And, he wakes up with a child-like energy to seize the day.”

The TVC showcases two versions of Khurrana – one is his present self and the other is a kid version of himself. Khurrana’s younger version is seen enacting multiple movie characters that have been loved by his fans, along with an added child-like energy. Through this ad, the brand is promoting its Orthopaedic Memory Foam mattress.

Speaking about the initial reactions to the ad, Malpani shares, “People are rewinding and pausing at places where the kid looks like Khurrana. I think it’s definitely breaking the clutter. We’re hoping that this ad is going to be a case study in marketing, and improve the overall brand awareness and consideration numbers.”

Challenges with AI

The campaign was created in partnership with Spring Marketing Capital, produced by Twilight Entertainment, and directed by Vasan Bala. While the film showcases the energy and fun character of Khurrana, the creative team faced many challenges in building his character, says Malpani.

“To create a clutter-breaking surprise visual for our film, we could not just cast a kid who looked like Khurrana. We wanted Khurrana to become a kid using AI, so that it’s worth watching. But there were limited childhood pictures of Khurrana available. So, we had to really imagine him using regression tools to perfect the way he’d look in his childhood. And, also not take away the fact that the kid resembles him.”

Malpani adds that the other challenge was to create the character.

“We had to build a character with a lot of motion, side angles and expressions. We faced many challenges to bring the campaign to life using AI."

The long-term campaign will run across connected TVs, social media and YouTube, with bursts on other media like TV, cinema halls, etc.

Mattress market

According to Mordor Intelligence report, the mattress market in India is poised to grow at a CAGR of 5% by 2027. The unorganised sector has a major share in the market. This sector includes street-side shops, etc. However, with the increasing demand for good quality mattresses among Indian consumers, the organised sector is also growing now.

As per the report, a visible shift has been observed in consumers’ perspective, where the main focus is on the product’s comfort and functionality. Mattress manufacturing companies that include both offline and online retailers, have adopted innovative strategies to ensure customer satisfaction.

Many new trends will emerge in the mattress industry. Mattresses are no longer considered as mere consumer durables, they’re also an indicator of the quality of life.

How difficult is it for a brand to build its presence in such a category?

Malpani shares, “It’s difficult. As category leaders, our job is to educate people that mattresses can be bought online. The category has been unorganised, because initially, branded mattresses were quite expensive. Wakefit came in and broke this notion that one doesn’t need to compromise on quality. There wasn’t much innovation in the mattress space before we came into the picture.”

Wakefit came into existence in March 2016, with the aim to revolutionise the quality of sleep among Indians. Since then, the brand has spearheaded a profound discourse on cultivating a thriving sleep culture in the country.

It began with the aim of making mattresses and selling them online. It subsequently moved into the space of pillows, bed frames, mattress protectors, comforters, neck pillows and back cushions. It also included sofas, dining sets, cupboards, study tables, bookshelves, shoe racks, cushions, floor rugs, curtains, towels, and more, in its portfolio.

In 2023, the brand launched 33 stores so far. It plans to open close to 100 stores by FY 2024.

Commenting on the brand’s omnichannel presence, Malpani says, “We need to ensure that we’re authentic in the way we provide information about our products. Whether it’s online or offline, when we’ve spoken to the consumers, almost all of them say that it’s no longer just one channel. Consumers research online and buy offline. They experience offline and buy online. So, it’s going to be a mixed consumer journey.”

The brand clocked in revenue of Rs 825 crore in FY 2022-23. It has now set its sights on crossing the Rs 1,000 crore revenue mark in FY 23-24.