Dive Brief:
- Purple is live streaming boring content on Facebook Live to put people to sleep, according to a blog post from the company. The mattress maker teamed with Facebook’s Creative Shop Studio to develop the concept for the dull and repetitive videos, which air between midnight and 4 am EST on Tuesday.
- Purple worked closely with Facebook’s Creative Shop Studio on the film production, which happens on Facebook Live, and targeting strategy of its boring live video live. Programming will feature a monotone man reading from a book, a woman yawning and brushing her hair, and a man dressed in taupe watching taupe paint dry. It's apparently aimed at millennials, 93% of whom scroll their smartphones in bed, per Purple.
- Viral videos have been critical to the rise of Purple. One showing the brand’s mattress cradling raw eggs has been viewed nearly 42 million times on YouTube.
Dive Insight:
Facebook Live is an increasingly popular outlet for marketers. Preceding Purple, Universal Pictures turned to it to promote “The Fate of the Furious,” Lowe’s touted Black Friday deals on the platform, Dunkin’ Donuts took fans on a tour of a facility where its products are made and Benefit Cosmetics started a weekly program called “Tipsy Tricks with Benefit!” With its quirky twist on Facebook Live broadcasting, Purple is trying to stand out from the crowd as it lulls viewers into a slumber.
Marketers are attracted to the growth of Facebook Live and the potential for high engagement it promises. Live broadcasts now account for 20% of all the video on Facebook, and the volume of broadcasts has surged more than 4x over last year. Mediakix noted Facebook's videos are on pace to surpass 64 billion views by August; Facebook Live videos are watched 3x longer than videos that aren't live, and users comment on Facebook Live videos at 10x the rate of regular videos.
Facebook Live isn’t without potential pitfalls for marketers. A Wall Street Journal article pronounced some publishers have been unimpressed with viewership and engagement results, and claim Facebook Live’s popularity has dipped. Brand safety issues have also surfaced as the service has been a home to extreme content at times, and monetization is a work in progress. But Facebook Live remains compelling because it’s besting streaming competitors Periscope and YouTube on the numbers.
