Mattress Firm drops R/GA as creative agency of record

Mattress Firm is significantly reducing its scope with R/GA only a week after it was reported that it named the Interpublic Group of Cos.' shop its creative agency of record. The news was shared to R/GA staffers yesterday in an internal memo obtained by Ad Age that was sent by the chief creative officer of its connected communications division, Shannon Washington.

Washington's memo cites several reasons why Mattress Firm chose to "change directions" in terms of its involvement with the agency, including "some massive cracks in our scaffolding process, communication, and our organizational readiness to move at the speed of retail. This is something that April [Quinn, managing director at R/GA] , Brandon [Kaplan, senior VP, executive director, business operations], Tiff [Rolfe, global CCO of R/GA], Sean [Lyons, CEO of R/GA], and I are keenly aware of and are actively addressing so that this never happens again. To be transparent, this includes introducing new ways of working in 2023 and holding the appropriate people accountable."

Mattress Firm will work with R/GA on a project basis moving forward, according to multiple people close to the situation.  "We will also keep some time dedicated to [Mattress Firm] proactive ideas and incremental work as it comes in," Washington wrote in the memo. "As decisions are made, your talent partners will be in touch."

"Great ideas are currency," Washington continued in the memo. "Just as you would never throw away a used dollar, look at great creative work in the same light. With that, as we move forward and work with you all to align on your next steps (projects, client teams, etc.), I don't want you to look at your incredibly hard work as a waste. Rather, it's time to spend it on other endeavors and get some work out. I appreciate you all and thank you again for rocking so hard with us this far."

Mattress Firm wasn't immediately available for comment. A spokeswoman for R/GA confirmed that Mattress Firm is still a client, but did not comment on the contents of the memo by deadline.

The company had previously worked with Droga5, which created notable campaigns including its most recent “Junk Sleep” brand platform, which focused on the negative effects lack of sleep has on people. Mickey Mericle joined as the company’s chief marketing officer in April. She previously served as the CMO of pool and spa care company Leslie's.

It appeared from the memo that R/GA has still been working on an execution for the client, given the first sentence of Washington's memo. "I want to sincerely thank you all for the incredible hustle over the last two weeks and weekends on Mattress Firm, the work is looking really tight, and we started the week on a positive note with great feedback on Friday's shoot, a tight and fruitful design conversation and our ongoing activation work for Mr. Irrelevant."

While the character was not defined in the memo, "Mr. Irrelevant" is a nickname given to the last draft pick in each NFL Draft. This year it was given to quarterback Brock Purdy, who is currently starting for the San Francisco 49ers. It’s unconfirmed if the activation is referring to something that involved Purdy.