Born Social has embedded Premier Inn in the trending topic of good sleep. The agency has added the all-important ingredient of comedy and drawcard, comedian Al Nash, who appears in the newly launched British version of Saturday Night Live, in a series of surreal experiments in the social-first campaign, Science of Sleep. Rather than adapting TV for social, it leans fully into entertainment, using lo-fi British humour and a creator-led format to drive cut-through with younger audiences. Rather than rely solely on its drawcard, it wins hearts with hilariously honest disclaimers.

The exaggerated experiments are based on the real-life testing and research that underpins the consistency of experience in every room. The campaign aims to reinforce the brand’s positioning, You Know What You’re Getting with Premier Inn, while increasing brand awareness and consideration among younger travellers, supporting Premier Inn’s long-term ambition to become Britain’s most loved hotel chain for all ages.

Premier Inn is known its great value rooms and signature mattresses and has built its reputation on delivering a consistent experience. From mattress testing to temperature control and pillow design, Premier Inn invests heavily in ensuring guests rest well, though much of this work happens behind the scenes. The social-first campaign builds on the insight that the brand’s greatest competitive advantage lies in its obsessive focus on sleep science. 

Al Nash, whose dry, awkward humour has built a strong following on TikTok and Instagram, plays a Premier Inn Sleep  “researcher”- aka “Chief Kipologist” – conducting a set of exaggerated experiments designed to demonstrate how Premier Inn tests its beds, pillows and duvets to guarantee a good night’s sleep.

Set inside a playful mock laboratory environment, the experiments are all based on the brand’s real testing processes while leaning into a deliberately comedic tone. In one film, suspended hairdryers blast heat onto a mattress to test temperature regulation and comfort. Another sees heavy anvil-style weights dropped onto pillows to demonstrate their firmness and durability. A third recreates Premier Inn’s real mattress testing machine with an exaggerated device repeatedly dropping a comical prop “bum” onto a bed to simulate years of use.

The visual style blends deadpan British humour with a Wallace & Gromit-style experimental aesthetic, drawing inspiration from lo-fi internet comedy and faux-documentary formats. Subtle Premier Inn brand cues, including purple accents and branded lab coats, appear throughout the films.

Additional social content captures behind-the-scenes moments with Nash on set, including humorous interactions with the experimental equipment and attempts to sneak in naps between tests.

The work is running across organic and paid social channels including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok. Media planning and buying is led by OMD. Consumer PR activity is led by Golin.

The social-first activity extends the work led by Leo Burnett, who developed the You Know What You’re Getting platform and TV ad featuring the voice of Premier Inn long-time ambassador, Sir Lenny Henry.

Louise Woodiwiss, head of brand marketing, Premier Inn, stated, “Premier Inn has always been obsessed with delivering a great night’s sleep, but much of the testing and science behind that happens behind the scenes. This campaign gives us a playful way to bring that to life for a new generation of travellers, showing the lengths we go to in order to make every stay comfortable and consistent. By turning our real sleep testing processes into entertaining social content, we’re able to reinforce the simple truth behind our new platform: when you stay with Premier Inn, you know what you’re getting.”

Paddy Smith, chief creative officer at Born Social, added, “We’ve all been subjected to a corporate explainer or stumbled into a QVC shopping channel. It’s an awkward, brilliant, creative playground for a brand that’s willing to stick its neck out. Given how far Premier Inn go to guarantee a great night’s sleep, it’s only fair they get the chance to spotlight it, and this work brings education and entertainment together beautifully. With Al Nash at the helm, someone who’s fast becoming the biggest name in the social comedy scene, it has all of the components of great social-first creative. Uniquely British and tonally brave. Quality work.” 

Credits
Client: Premier Inn
Head of Brand Marketing: Louise Woodiwiss 
Marketing Director: Louise Nichson
Social Media Manager:  Richard Green
Brand Campaigns Manager: Lauren Steel
Brand Campaigns Executive: BarnabyCole 
B2B Campaigns Manager: Laura Butler

Social Agency: Born Social 
Senior Creative: Liam Glover 
Motion Designer: Ines Barny
Influencer Manager: Holly Adams
Influence Director: Charlee Elson
Junior Producer: Semira Hamden
Associate Production Director: Laura Taylor 
Creative Director: Safiyah Kelly 
Strategy Director: Alice Thompson 
Senior Strategist: Georgina Elliot 
Business Director: Charli Brehaut 
Account Director: Samuel Badcock
Project Manager: Stacey Sangala

Media Agency: OMD
Creative Agency: Leo
Managing Partner: Lauren Martin 
Account Manager: Bryan Osango 
Senior Account Director: Robert Ellen 
Account Executive: Sam Baker 
Executive Creative Directors: Andy Long & James Millers
Creative Director: Hayley Power 
Project Director: Karina Gorska
Senior Planner: Alex Arnold-Jones
Planning Partner: Elisa Edmonds

Production Company: Detail Films
Director: Beej Harris
Producer: Helen Thomas
DOP: Will Warr 
Art Director: Ali Al Akel
Editor: Jess Wood