Simmons Announces New, Groundbreaking Advertising Campaign for Comforpedic; Upgraded Advertising Spots for Beautyrest

ATLANTA, April 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Simmons Bedding Company announced today at High Point Market the impending launch of two new advertising campaigns for its Beautyrest^® and Comforpedic^® From Beautyrest^® brands. These campaigns combined are expected to deliver a staggering 2.2 billion targeted consumer impressions and be viewed approximately 14 times by 96 percent of the brands' target audience. Ads are scheduled to hit the airwaves on network and cable television in May 2013.

"These new ad campaigns are unlike anything we as a company have ever done and we feel they are groundbreaking for the industry," says Gary Fazio, CEO of Simmons. "We needed our ad campaigns to reflect the special "wow" factor of our product lines. So we went big - big names, spectacular productions, and high energy music - and we are excited for the consumer and the industry to see what we have in store."

This campaign will mark the first national television advertising endeavor for Comforpedic^® from Beautyrest^®. Expected to deliver nearly 700 million impressions alone, the spots aim to position Comforpedic "The Better Memory Foam"™ as the "expert brand" for those "in the know."

The campaign will feature leading experts in a variety of fields endorsing Comforpedic as the mattress that provides them the best, most restful sleep they need to excel in their demanding professions. Through the ads, the viewer is pulled into the spectacular dream environments of celebrated experts Philippe Cousteau, famed oceanographer, filmmaker, Animal Planet correspondent and grandson of Jacques Cousteau; Maria Chudnovsky, renowned graph theorist and mathematician and a 2012 MacArthur Foundation Fellow; and Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American female astronaut and an accomplished physician.

Providing voiceover for the spots is Alex Trebek, renowned Jeopardy host and the ultimate expert on experts, whose narration of Cousteau, Chudnovsky and Jemison's "dreams" drives home the benefits of better sleep with Comforpedic.

The Beautyrest ad campaign also received a boost of star power since the January Vegas Market.  "Though the original Beautyrest spots tested well comparatively within the bedding industry, we knew we could go bigger - better. We're competing for our audience's attention against all advertisers, not just our industry," says Jeff Willard, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Simmons. "These new ads pack a punch - you're instantly grabbed by the familiar tune, and the quick cuts bring the Recharge message to life."

Both the Beautyrest and Comforpedic ads have secured major placements in outstanding summer programming and will have heavy, high-profile presence from May to September, particularly around the summer holidays. Ads will air on all the major networks during their peak primetime programming and summer season finales, including Grimm, America's Got Talent, Law & Order and NCIS, among others. Appropriately, the campaigns will also run during the network morning and late-night dayparts, when the half-awake and not fully charged are watching.

In addition to network television, the ads will run on a broad spectrum of cable networks, including Lifetime, HGTV, Bravo, TLC, Food Network, Travel Channel, A&E, ESPN, History Channel, TBS, TNT, USA, CNN, MSN NBC, FoxNews, among others. Simmons particularly focused on securing placement during "expert" cable programming that complements Comforpedic's expert positioning, such as Man vs. Wild, What Not To Wear, Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentis and Mythbusters.

The Beautyrest ads will debut May 13, 2013 while Comforpedic follows quickly behind with a debut date of May 20, 2013.

Both campaigns also extend out to digital and social media channels with a robust awareness campaign that threads each campaign's one cohesive message through all avenues of engagement. Simmons has committed to a full year of extensive digital coverage, through search tools, network websites and web and mobile destinations.

Simmons Celebrates a Monumental Kickoff to 2013

This High Point Market, Simmons celebrates the successful reception of its completed three-year transformation, announced at Las Vegas Market in January 2013 and marked by the largest and most significant product launch and the largest Las Vegas Market attendance in company history.

Products introduced at Las Vegas Market in January are on display in the Simmons showroom this High Point Market. The lines are set to debut in retail stores across the country in May 2013.

Consumers Experience Recharging Sleep with Simmons New Beautyrest Recharge^® and Recharge World Class^® Collections

Simmons two newest Beautyrest collections - Beautyrest Recharge^® and Recharge World Class^® - combine luxury and comfort to provide the consumer with an unparalleled sleep experience.

The conforming back support of Beautyrest Pocketed Coil^® springs and the cool sleeping comfort of Aircool^® foams combine to bring the consumer the Recharging Sleep he or she needs to Live Life Fully Charged.
 
Beautyrest Recharge models priced from $699 to $1299 feature 800 density Beautyrest Pocketed Coil springs. Aircool^® Foam, Aircool^® Memory Foam and GelTouch™ foams, which provide pressure relief and promote freedom of movement and a comfortable sleeping temperature, are available on select models.  

The Beautyrest Recharge World Class line features 1000 density Beautyrest Pocketed Coil springs, Aircool Memory Foam and TruTemp™ Gel. TruTemp Gel absorbs, stores and releases excessive warmth to help keep you in a comfortable temperature zone.

Additionally, all upper-end models feature Aircool Memory Foam with Micro GelTouch™ foam - providing conformance, pressure relief, temperature management and good airflow - and 2,000 density Pocketed Coil springs via a micro Pocketed Coil construction for enhanced pressure relief with a luxurious feel.
 
The new lines are visually striking with ribbon accents and handles of rich blues inspired by the colors of night, featuring plush fabrics that complement the overall feel and comfort of the mattresses.

The Beautyrest Recharge line features 15 models with a suggested retail price of $699-$1299 and carries a 20 year limited warranty, while the Recharge World Class line features 14 models and has a suggested retail price of $1399-$1999 and carries a 25 year limited warranty.

New COMFORPEDIC High-End Models Build on "The Better Memory Foam" Heritage

Simmons expands on the tremendous success of COMFORPEDIC products by offering a new level of comfort and style through the addition of four new mattresses to the COMFORPEDIC high-end line, as introduced this past January.

The new line features Aircool Memory Foam and high-density Aircool Memory Foam with TruTemp Gel. In these new models, the profile of the TruTemp Gel layer has been increased 100 percent from those launched at last October's High Point Market. In conjunction with the Aircool Memory Foam and Aircool Design, this new layer helps optimize temperature consistency and sleeping comfort.

Engineered into the four new beds is a proprietary Multi-Action Support Layer, an enhanced system designed to provide the legendary support that Beautyrest is known for, along with superb airflow for more comfortable sleep. Each of the four beds offers a unique feel to accommodate consumers' individual comfort preference.

The new luxurious knit panel fabric is accented with a Beautyrest logo-inspired wave border design. This stylish wave design, in a chocolate brown performance fabric, is tastefully tailored with ribbon detailing that brings an elevated level of luxurious sophistication to the aesthetics of the line. This sumptuous look complements the other products in the Comforpedic line and extends to the Nuflex^® Foundation from Beautyrest for the ultimate standard in stylish luxury and comfort.

These four new high-end additions to the Comforpedic line have a suggested retail price of $2,999 to $4,499 and a 25 year limited warranty.

About Simmons Bedding Company
Atlanta-based Simmons Bedding Company ("Simmons") is one of the world's largest mattress producers and the maker of Beautyrest^®. Simmons manufactures and markets a broad range of products including Beautyrest^®, Beautyrest TruEnergy^®, Beautyrest Black^®, Comforpedic^® from Beautyrest^®, and BeautySleep^®. Simmons operates 17 conventional bedding manufacturing facilities across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Simmons also serves as a key supplier of beds to many of the world's leading hotel groups and resort properties. Simmons is committed to developing superior mattresses and promoting a higher-quality sleep, helping ensure consumers around the world are LIVING LIFE FULLY CHARGED^®. For more information, visit www.simmons.com, or follow Simmons on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect our current views about future events. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and are expressed in good faith. However, these forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Simmons's expectations, including, but not limited to, operational pressures, including our ability to launch new products on a timely basis, the success of our new products and costs related thereto; our product liability, intellectual property and other litigation claims; and strategic decisions, including potential acquisitions and personnel realignments. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, either to reflect new developments or for any other reason.

FOR INFORMATION
Christina Schrempp
404.835.4521
[email protected]

SOURCE Simmons Bedding Company