With COVID-19 an unescapable backdrop of daily life and societal and economic unrest raging around the world, there are any number of reasons why a good night’s sleep may feel unattainable. Yet sleeplessness isn’t a condition that people raise on a regular basis with their physicians.
Idorsia, the manufacturer of recently approved insomnia drug Quviviq, aims to change that with Seize the Night and Day. The campaign counts actor Jennifer Aniston as its primary spokesperson.
Idorsia VP, head of marketing U.S. Michael Moye believes that insomnia is undertreated and characterizes the number of affected people as “staggering.” The campaign’s overarching goal, then, is to end the perception of sleeplessness as merely a secondary symptom of another ailment.
“There are 25 million Americans with insomnia and 12 million who are undiagnosed,” he said. “This is a health topic that needs a lot more education, understanding and awareness.”
Seize the Night and Day is anchored by a 30-second spot depicting a sleep-deprived Aniston engaging with her well-rested doppelganger. Moye says that the ad’s authenticity and Aniston’s openness about her own struggles with insomnia are the primary sources of its appeal.
“Much of what you see in the spot is what Jen and Taika [Waititi, who directed the spot and previously won an Academy Award for his Jojo Rabbit screenplay] are really great at,” Moye noted. “They got the footage we needed, but much of what ended up in the commercial was them improvising.”
Aniston’s sleep story, featured on the campaign website, was similarly unscripted. “There are no teleprompters,” Moye stressed. “Hearing that story and that humor come through draws people in. They pay attention to this and want to learn more.”
Aniston proved a good fit for Seize the Night and Day for another reason, Moye said: Her history of putting wellness at the center of her personal brand.
“What we bring to the partnership is thinking about how sleep should be the third pillar of health – it should be diet, exercise and sleep,” Moye explained. “Jen’s focus matched up with that. She realized we could help a lot of people.”
Not surprisingly, Idorsia is looking at other ways to extend Aniston’s role.
“We are considering some options where Jen could have an opportunity to serve as an interviewer,” Moye continued. “She is naturally curious and loves meeting smart, informed people and picking their brains. We want to tap into that.”
