You Can Now Get Paid to Sleep

What would be your answer if I asked you to pick one thing you love the most among everything you do in a day? Wait... what? Sleeping?

I know, I know... because that is my answer as well.

What if I told you that you could get paid for it? Yes, Wakefit’s viral Sleep Internship was all about paying people to sleep! This was Wakefit's initiation to spread awareness about proper sleep and, of course, promote its products.

Within days, the campaign was the talk of the town 😣across India and the world.

It sounds like a dream job, doesn’t it? Let's see what it's all about.

What are we talking about?

There is so much noise in the market today because brands attack their target audience with ads everywhere - social media, TV, radio, etc., In such a crowded space, the challenge for brands is to break through the noise and grab attention.  

One such initiative is Wakefit’s Sleep Internship campaign. It was all about combining creativity and an uncommon approach to turn a simple marketing idea into a viral hit.

Wakefit did this by tapping into something as relatable and universal as sleep, something most people struggle with daily but rarely see as a focal point of marketing campaigns.

The Sleep Internship was the brand's attempt to promote its products, like mattresses, pillows, and sleep-related things, through an unexplored concept.  

They offered people the chance to get paid INR 1 lakh to sleep, and this instantly grabbed public attention. I mean, who would not look at it? I would do it (haha!).

Check out the host introducing the internship:

The campaign was not only about selling mattresses. It was about creating a lifestyle story where Wakefit positioned itself as the go-to brand for better sleep quality.

Campaign Overview

Wakefit’s Sleep Internship combined humor, relatability, and the universal need for better sleep, while the heart of the campaign revolved around a simple but persuasive idea: paying people to sleep.

This out-of-the-box concept turned heads across India and eventually worldwide, making it one of the most talked-about campaigns in the sleep solutions industry. The elements of the campaign included:

Concept

The Sleep Internship invited participants to apply for a job where they would get paid INR 1 lakh to sleep 9 hours each night over 100 days.

The idea of being rewarded for sleep, often sacrificed in modern life, gave thought to the audience. By stating sleep as a valuable activity, Wakefit challenged the cultural norm of overworking and lack of rest.

Step 1: Application process

Participants were required to apply through Wakefit’s website. They had to answer a few questions and submit a video explaining why they would be the perfect intern.

This video feature boosted engagement and made the application process go viral, as many participants shared their video submissions on social media. Here’s how they interviewed applicants in the final interview:

Can you believe Wakefit received over 1.75 lakh applications for the internship within the first few weeks of launching?

Step 2: Execution

Once selected, interns were given Wakefit mattresses and asked to record their sleep patterns using various technologies, such as sleep trackers and apps.

This made the internship both a promotional tool for Wakefit’s products and a scientific approach to explaining the benefits of quality sleep. The participants’ sleep data and experiences were shared on social media, giving the campaign an interactive appeal.

Click here to apply for the sleep internship.

Timing

They launched the campaign in late 2019 when conversations around mental health, work-life balance, and sleep were gaining importance.

The timing was perfect because young people and students were becoming aware of the negative effects of poor sleep due to stress, workload, and technology use.

Well, the best thing is the campaign launch coincided with the start of 2020 New Year resolutions, a time when people focus on self-care and well-being.

This boosted the campaign even more. Wakefit tapped into this growing sentiment and gave a solution in the form of a fun, engaging opportunity to prioritize rest.

Medium

They executed the campaign on social media platforms to leverage the viral potential of Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. They promoted the internship with engaging posts, videos, and stories and used hashtags and influencer partnerships to spread the word fast.

OMG! Look at how many publications are talking about it:

Strategy Breakdown

Wakefit’s “Sleep Internship” campaign went beyond selling mattresses. It created a record of the importance of sleep and well-being. This alignment with current societal concerns helped the campaign become an overnight success.

Target Audience

Wakefit had targeted millennials and Gen Z, aged between 18-35 years, who are widely known for being sleep-deprived due to their lifestyles, stressful work environments, and screen-time addiction.

Also, these were the demographics interested in wellness, self-care, and mental health. Since these people focus more on making money, the INR 1 lakh offer immediately caught their attention.

Messaging

Get paid to sleep was the bold and straightforward message that became the heart of the campaign. It connected with the target audience that longed for rest and balance in their hectic lives. The tagline was on fire because it flipped the typical side of worn-out.

This messaging created a buzz organically through word-of-mouth, social shares, and media coverage. Because they sold the idea of better sleep leading to a better life, they created an emotional bond with their audience.

Emotional Triggers

Wakefit’s campaign tapped into three powerful emotional triggers to engage its audience:

1. Humor

The concept of getting paid to sleep, a wild yet desirable proposal, used humor to grab attention. Today, where most marketing focuses on hustle culture, this campaign made fun of overwork, letting the audience laugh at their lack of sleep while giving a solution.

2. Aspirational appeal

By saying sleep as an internship, Wakefit aligned with a career-related opportunity. Many millennials, especially in urban areas, juggle multiple jobs or studies, and getting paid for something as simple as sleep felt like a dream come true. This created a desire.

You know we have a winner in the sleep internship? Yep, she won freaking INR 5 lakhs.

Wakefit saw a 300% increase in social media followers and a 50% surge in website traffic because millennials shared and applied for the internship.

3. Well-being and self-care

The campaign smartly aligned with the self-care movement, which has gained notable traction among younger generations.

The message was simple - better sleep leads to better productivity, mood, and quality of life. This became part of the larger conversation around self-care and health.

You must check out this video, especially the interview part:

They then marketed the campaign on platforms where Gen Z spends most of their time, like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

They used memes, video snippets, and user testimonials to make the campaign more appealing and partnered with wellness influencers for better reach.

And finally, here’s the video of the whole season 1 of Sleep Internship:

Why was this campaign so successful?

Wakefit’s campaign broke traditional advertising norms by focusing on an activity as ordinary yet essential as sleep, showing it in a fun and educational way.

By using humor and a relatable message, Wakefit perfectly reached its core audience while differentiating itself from competitors. This creative approach helped Wakefit build brand loyalty and visibility without directly selling its products.

Instead, they created an emotional and cultural connection around sleep and rest. The "Sleep Internship" was also designed for maximum participation and engagement, particularly through social media.

The quirky nature of the campaign made it highly shareable, while its educational aspect, focusing on the importance of sleep for health, further hardened Wakefit’s positioning as an expert in the sleep solutions market.

Results

• The internship received an overwhelming response, with over 1,75,000 applications flooding in from across India.

• The campaign got coverage from top-tier media outlets like The Times of India, The Economic Times, Forbes India, and CNN, stressing the uniqueness of the idea.

• Wakefit's overall online conversions increased by 25% during the campaign, with a 60% rise in first-time customers purchasing sleep-related products.

• According to post-campaign surveys, 85% of participants associated Wakefit with "innovative sleep solutions" and "sleep wellness" after the campaign.

Conclusion

Wakefit’s "Sleep Internship" campaign is the perfect example of how bold ideas, when aligned with a brand’s core offering, can create a lasting impact and drive engagement and business growth. It captured public attention, boosted brand awareness, and increased sales, all while strengthening Wakefit’s position as a leader in sleep solutions.