Healtheries and TBWA\NZ’s Human vs Sloth sleep-off sparks conversations

Healtheries and TBWA\New Zealand have turned bedtime into primetime with a new social-first campaign called Sleep vs Sloth. It started with a callout for Kiwis to flaunt their snooze skills for a chance to win a tropical getaway and represent Aotearoa in the world’s first human vs sloth sleep-off. Andy ‘the ultimate sleeper’ Franklet The honour went to Nelson-born lawyer, Andy Franklet, whose sleeping habits earned him the title of New Zealand’s “ultimate sleeper”. Franklet was flown to Costa Rica where he faced off against a sloth in a showdown streamed live on Healtheries’ Instagram. “We wanted to disrupt the category by making sleep the headline, not just something that happens at the end of the day,” says TBWA\New Zealand chief creative officer Shane Bradnick. “Sleep vs Sloth was about proving that a simple, social idea can grab the nation’s attention and get people talking about their own sleep habits – with a healthy dose of Kiwi humour.” Let’s talk about sleep The campaign was a fully integrated, social-led movement that aimed to get the nation talking about sleep health: NZME came on board as a lead media partner, with content spanning The Hits, Flava FM and NZ Herald. Radio host, Ben Boyce led the charge as the campaign ambassador. A mix of Kiwi talent and creators, including Sharyn Casey and DIY duo, The Current Place, used TikTok and Instagram to share bedtime rituals and talk about sleep. Meanwhile, sleep expert Dr. Sumit Samant from the Auckland Sleep Clinic fronted earned media and guest radio segments with practical sleep advice. Out-snoozed the sloth The campaign reached 1.9m Kiwis, delivered over 12 million impressions, and generated additional earned media coverage. The live sleep-off on Instagram became a memorable, shareable moment. “Most Kiwis aren’t getting enough quality sleep, and at Healtheries we wanted to create something that would actually get people to pause, laugh, and think about their own habits,” says Healtheries senior brand manager Alina Varoy. “Sleep vs Sloth was about entertainment first, but it’s been amazing to see how many people have joined the conversation. And yes, we’re stoked Andy out-snoozed the sloth.” The campaign was brought to life with the social and influence expertise of Eleven PR and media support of Spark Foundry. As a result, Healtheries has grown by 44% compared to the same month a year ago.