Challenge:Create an unexpected, relevant story for Downy Fabric Softener’s Clean Sheet Week Challenge.Objective: Drive engagement, credibility and emotional attachment for the Downy brand and its promise: making your sheets smell fresh for seven days.Strategy:To add the benefit of a more comfortable night’s rest to the brand’s promise of freshness, we decided to boldly dramatize Ultra Downy April Fresh’s efficacy while fueling social interaction between Downy and consumers. We conceived an unexpected, highly visible week-long stunt featuring Mike Birbiglia—a sleep-challenged comedian with a strong social following.Execution:Insight from a National Sleep Foundation partnership poll inspired a partnership with Macy’s, the world’s largest department store, to display “Mike in Window”—a transparent event in Macy’s Herald Square window featuring sleep-challenged comedian, Mike Birbiglia—living and sleeping on Downy-treated sheets for seven days. Mike interacted with fans all week long via live streaming Facebook feeds, impulsive content and provocative, hilarious conversations on Twitter.Results: “Mike in Window” increased Downy’s Facebook likes by almost 200 percent, gained 17,000 Twitter followers, earned eight million YouTube views and ultimately garnered more than 550 million media impressions.

• National Sleep Foundation poll insight inspired Downy’s partnership with Macy’s to display "Mike in Window" - an event in Macy’s Herald Square window featuring sleep-challenged Mike Birbiglia - living and sleeping on Downy-treated sheets for seven days during the January 2011 Home Sale• Announced "Mike in Window" via Associated Press exclusive and kicked-off with live press event in New York City (during major snowstorm!)• Enabled Mike to interact with fans via live streaming Facebook feeds, impulsive interaction with people on the street, and provocative, hilarious Twitter conversations • Remained flexible all week to maximize entertainment and social/viral opportunities based on digital and live audiences’ reaction to both planned and impromptu activities• Heightened local, national and online awareness via targeted outreach with an exclusive story on Mashable and coverage on outlets • Macy’s partnership enabled us to drive trial through 600,000 free Downy samples in 650 stores with sheet purchase.

"Mike in Window" was a success across all objectives, especially social and traditional media goals. Downy Facebook "likes" increased by almost 200%, the brand’s Twitter followers increased from 0 to over 17,000, the Downy YouTube channel earned more than eight million views, and more than 10,000 consumers connected with Mike via Facebook.

In only two weeks the program garnered more than 550 million media impressions worldwide. Major news outlets, including ABC, NBC, NPR, the Huffington Post, Bloomberg Business Week, New York Daily News, The Insider and Yahoo! carried and followed the story during the week, as did hundreds of blogs across the home, lifestyle, and entertainment categories.

Consumer engagement was off the charts, provoking reactions such as "surreal" and "priceless." American Public Media’s Marketplace said, "Thanks to him and his sleep problems, Downy's social media presence has taken off overnight" and the program broke several internal P&G records.