Sleep device company Hatch has launched a chilling new marketing campaign, transforming the everyday habit of doomscrolling into a terrifying horror film trailer. Titled "Goodnight, Phone," the 90-second spot stars "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" actress Kiernan Shipka and dramatically highlights the dangers of in-bed phone use and its impact on sleep health. The creative effort aims to underscore Hatch's value proposition by vividly portraying the consequences of disordered sleep caused by excessive digital engagement before bed.
The Horror of Doomscrolling Takes Center Stage
While horror films often rely on supernatural entities to create suspense, Hatch's latest brand campaign identifies a more quotidian yet equally terrifying antagonist: the endless scroll of a smartphone in bed, leading to lost sleep. This in-house initiative uses classic scary movie tropes to pitch the brand's solution to a widespread modern problem.
The "Goodnight, Phone" trailer, which is also appearing in theaters through November 1, continues Hatch's ongoing mission to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of disordered sleep linked to doomscrolling.
“We wanted to keep pushing up against phone use in bed, and really take it to be extreme and show the dangers and horrors of what happens if you keep doomscrolling in bed and lose sleep. We pushed it to 100 and decided to lean into horror film tropes,” said Hatch Executive Creative Director Rinee Shah.
The trailer can be viewed here: Goodnight, Phone Trailer
A Cinematic Nightmare Unfolds
Helmed by up-and-coming director Meredith Alloway, the trailer follows a young couple who have recently moved into a new home. Shipka's character becomes increasingly consumed by her phone, experiencing a series of terrifying hallucinations including phantom TikTok twins, a "Ring"-inspired doppelganger, and unsettling body horror elements like bloody thumbs and a swallowed power cord. In stark contrast, her partner, played by Jacob Lumet Cannavale, enjoys peaceful sleep, thanks to a crucial decision to prioritize rest.
“She’s losing her mind,” Shah explained of Shipka’s character. “She's on the phone, but her boyfriend is the calm person that doesn't have a care in the world. She's going through a horrific time, and he's just peacefully sleeping next to her the whole time. We wanted to show that difference of doomscrolling in bed and sleeping with a Hatch, and having those boundaries.”
Behind the Creative Process
This bold campaign builds on Hatch's previous efforts, including the "Goodnight Phone, Hello Sleep" campaign launched in January for its Restore 3 product, which also focused on curbing bedtime scrolling. The opportunity for a significant creative push at the end of the year made a Halloween-themed advertisement a particularly attractive proposition.
Hatch's in-house team collaborated with director Meredith Alloway, whose forthcoming feature debut is produced by Diablo Cody. They provided Alloway with the "bare bones of a story," according to Shah, and quickly began brainstorming horror film references and impactful scenes suitable for a trailer format.
“The initial North Star was the over the top Hitchcockian female scream like in ‘Psycho’ or ‘Frenzy’ – it signals absolute horror but in this landscape, I felt it could accomplish that wink of satire,” Alloway shared in emailed comments. She also cited "The Conjuring," "Sinister," and "The Haunting of Hill House" as visual and tonal inspirations.
Despite Shah not being a horror fan herself, the team was encouraged by the summer success of films like "Weapons." The project saw a rapid turnaround, taking approximately three and a half weeks from concept to set, allowing Hatch to launch the campaign by mid-October. Shah credits this efficiency to a "scrappy team" capable of quick approvals, as demonstrated by their cheeky TikTok response to unusual claims about their product being demonic.
Strategic Impact and Agility
The "Goodnight, Phone" effort represents a deliberate "bigger swing" by Hatch to capture attention in a crowded market. Shah highlighted the company's receptiveness to bold ideas and the streamlined approval process that enables rapid execution.
“There's always appetite at Hatch for those ideas, and I think we're really lucky that if we stumble on one, and there's enough momentum, we can go get it made without a ton of layers and approvals in the way,” the executive concluded.
