Zzzomnia: The First Ad Designed To Make You Sleep

Feb. 17, 2020

25% of Germans suffer from sleep disorders. Heavy smartphone use until late at night is one of the reasons that keep people from sleeping. In cooperation with Facebook, the sleepwear manufacturer Mey and Jung von Matt/NECKAR flip this on its head with a Facebook Playable Ad that uses tech to counter its own effects. 

Through data harvesting, the Zzzomnia Playable Ad targets those trying to scroll themselves to sleep: connected to WiFi, passively scrolling, between midnight and 5 am. As people tap, they dive into a world of symmetrical kaleidoscope patterns. The game simply requires moving a finger around to match an outline shape and get to the next level. While getting sleepier. 

The science behind it is that the dreamy kaleidoscope visuals trigger the right hemisphere of the brain: the key to go to sleep. While symmetrical patterns found in nature, known as fractals, have been proven to reduce stress by up to 60% (University of Oregon). And thus reduce the activity in the left hemisphere.

Boreum Kim, Art Director at Jung von Matt/NECKAR explains:

“We recreated this symmetry digitally with warm-colored patterns and reduced blue light, which also helps you calm down.” Furthermore, sounds with a lower beat per minute help the heart rate slow down, building up the ideal conditions to drift into theta brain waves, and doze off.

 

The outcome is an ad that does what Mey Sleepwear products and services stand for: better sleep for all.