A Mascot With Cutting, Observational Wit
After five decades of hibernation, Celestial Seasonings has awakened its iconic Sleepytime Bear. To bring to life a more social mascot, the brand partnered with creative agency Deutsch NY to create a digital-first campaign that shows the Sleepytime Bear what he has missed during his decades-long hibernation.
“As more and more young consumers turn to tea, this digital-forward campaign is the perfect way to introduce the growing number of younger consumers to the many benefits of our teas,” comments Melinda Goldstein, Chief Marketing Officer at Hain Celestial. “It’s a clever campaign that not only allows the beloved Sleepytime Bear to interact with fans, but also showcases the variety of existing and new Celestial Seasonings tea products that help make people’s lives a bit better.”
Through content across platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, the mascot will catch up on what he’s missed including popular trends like restocking and reaction videos, exercising at home, reality TV shows, astrology, fantasy sports leagues and TikTok dances. At SleepytimeBearWokeUp.com, a launch video features the Sleepytime Bear singing “The Wake Up Song” and content featuring the character’s opinion on what he’s missed over the decades, from the 1970s to today.
“The Sleepytime Bear has already been the subject of countless memes and fan art,” says Pete Johnson, EVP, Executive Creative Director, Deutsch NY. “By bringing him into this digital world, he can finally react, comment and engage with fans that feel comforted and connected to his story, as well as discover new ones.”
The campaign uses a low-fi, mixed media approach to stay true to the home-spun user-generated design fans have been using to make the bear come to life, while also giving him a cutting, observational wit, allowing him to comment on anything from probiotics to the existential realities of the postmodern human condition.
Credits include: Creative Directors Quinn Katherman and Jeff Kopay; Senior Art Director Tori Mortenson; Digital Designers Laetitia Auguste and Chris Kelly; Joe Calabrese, EVP, Director of Integrated Production; Andrea Segura, Senior Producer; Lynn Fasano, Executive Digital Producer; and Jeffrey Tabaka, Digital Producer.
