Mumbai: Springwel mattresses is launching a new ad campaign that has been conceptualised by Saatchi & Saatchi.

Springwel mattresses wanted to give its potential customers an exchange offer wherein they could exchange their old mattresses for a new one at a discount. The act of buying a mattress has been made into an act of good in the new “sleep exchange” idea.

According to the agency, the idea came from the insight that over eight crore Indians are homeless - half of them children. They sleep anywhere they can - on pavements, under flyovers, on railway platforms, at bus stops and on park benches.

In partnership with Springwel, Saatchi & Saatchi decided to galvanise people to do their bit. The campaign asked consumers to exchange their old mattress for a new Springwel mattress. Besides giving the customer a discount, the brand also tied up with NGOs running shelters for the homeless, and donated the old mattresses to them.

This message was spread via social media, instead of mainstream broadcast media. The agency had created a film showing three street children going back to their regular place to sleep after a hard days’ work. As they reach the place, they find it littered with garbage. They clean the place and lay newspapers, and pieces of cardboard which act as mattresses, just to have a good night’s sleep.

The agency has also been keeping Facebook users informed about on-going activities and uploading actual stories of homeless people and how they reached where they are.

Additionally, on-ground activities have also been initiated. Using part of the pavement on Marine Drive (Mumbai) as a canvas, four artists created a ‘larger-than-life’ chalk illustration of a homeless kid sleeping on the pavement. In the five hours that it took to complete the illustration, thousands saw, photographed and shared the message via social media.

The agency is also planning to have a wall painting project on the same lines in New Delhi. Also on the anvil is a photography contest cum exhibition with the homeless as a theme. This will be open to all, and will be judged by a panel of photo journalists.

Springwel managing director Paramjeet Singh said, “We loved the suggestion of our advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, to donate these old, but serviceable, mattresses to shelters for the homeless, allowing us to repurpose mattress for a larger good.”

Saatchi & Saatchi, Delhi vice president Jaibeer Ahmad said that the idea reflects Saatchi’s philosophy of turning brands into Lovemarks. “Instead of relying on ‘-er’ (better, thicker, softer) product benefits, Springwel will now be looked upon a brand that wants to make a difference to the larger community,” Ahmad said.