We're watching the Olympics, and up pops a Mattress World commercial. It's the Mattress World lady, Sherri Hiner, who used to appear on camera with her then-husband Jon, before he disappeared a couple of years ago. For a long time now, she's been promising the lowest prices strictly on a solo basis. And she's doing theme commercials these days -- there's a Blazer theme one, and not surprisingly, here's an Olympics version. Bronze is 10% off, silver is 20% off, gold 30%, yada yada yada.
But OMG! In the closing shot, where you get to see her MW-ness and check out what she's got going on these days... there's a NEW DUDE! Kind of a hipster-looking guy. And he gets a speaking part! Don't tell me -- is he the new Mattress Mate?
UPDATE, 8:45 p.m.: And I'm not the only one who noticed. Already we're getting hits via Google from people who are dying to know: Who is the new guy?
Comments (21)
Sure those mattresses aren't left overs from the last Olympics?
I saw her MW-ness at the Blazer game the other night. The guy with her was not hipster at all. I wouldn't be on the TV person as the new mattress mate.
It does go back to when they both lost a lot of weight, she more than him. Apparently, I'm not making this up, she took a liking to a couple of the delivery guys and well, that was that, she bought him out of the business and he went his own way.
I have one foot in the hotel biz. I always wondered where my old mattresses ended up on those trade-in deals....
Maybe I've seen too many 20/20 and 48Hours segments to buy a mattress from an outfit like MW.
It must be that my fundamental social skills are stunted from a lack of attention to tv commercials.
Who buys mattresses, anyway? What's that 'customer base'? When I've been in some Giant Showrooms, they're empty. And the Salesbots, I mean, Salesbods are creepy peeps, like 'casket Salesbods in a funeral home'-creepy, worse conversation functionality than car salesmen. I mean, salesbots.
Maybe heavy tv advertising of things makes the salesbods for it so blank-eyed. Or jaded. Tv-injected self-cynicism seems like two octaves lower of the same note as in 'drawing google hits.' And what brought the deluge of mattress advertising anyway, out of nowhere just appeared in full-flower ... like 15 years ago ... is mattresses one-fifth of The Economy now, like drugs and pills? Whatever happened to canned coffee grounds ads? or Kibbles'n'Bits chuck wagon ads, making its own gravy in the bowl?
I like Bill's 'sex as an Olympic sport' line, but that's not going to happen until there is a Fall Olympics and a Spring Olympics, (sexual innuendo intended), in rotation -- a different seasoning of the Olympic 'It' every year. Mattress athletes are NOT going to wait 4 years between torches.
Wasn't there some social maxim by the Tom Peterson precedent for divorce law that says the tv ad agency is the wife's trophy? Maybe you missed your calling, Jack, to specialize in tax law for divorce considerations.
I've always found the "guarantee" Mattress World has to be kinda funny. They say if they can't beat the price of a competitor then the mattress is free. Yeah, sure, they aren't stupid. They'd lower the price by a buck in a heartbeat rather than give away a mattress. But most people are too stupid to understand that. I will bet anyone that Mattress World has NEVER given away a mattress.
Who buys mattresses, anyway? What's that 'customer base'?
For the last several years until about October 2008 I believe the customer base was made up mostly of all those people buying up 5 bedroom houses on easy credit. They were using the same credit to fill the bedrooms with beds and whatnot.
That's why Sheri's business has been hurting so.
Still, I guess there is a helluva markup on the products they are selling. Even the cheap stuff.
I just bought two new bed sets from MW. Great deal; nice beds; competent, helpful, willing-to-deal salesmen. Can't complain. We all can't be PhDs ya know.
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Comments (21)
Sure those mattresses aren't left overs from the last Olympics?
Posted by Abe | February 12, 2010 8:45 PM
How old is he?
Maybe it's one of her kids. You know the one who has been sleeping like a baby in the commercials all these years. Or the one who shushes you?
Posted by none | February 12, 2010 9:07 PM
I picture the sons as high school and college age nowadays. This dude looks like he cuts hair at a strip mall.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 12, 2010 9:12 PM
Love at the mattress store? Sounds kinky.
I like it!
Posted by none | February 12, 2010 9:16 PM
Perhaps a GIANT sale on inventory that's been previously enjoyed?
Posted by Abe | February 12, 2010 9:39 PM
This saga has been interesting, but I think she was a little off on the last commercial I saw.
Posted by none | February 12, 2010 9:46 PM
I saw her MW-ness at the Blazer game the other night. The guy with her was not hipster at all. I wouldn't be on the TV person as the new mattress mate.
Posted by Bark Munster | February 12, 2010 10:15 PM
See the mattresses, the new dude, and the gold medals Sherri's wearing?
This is what it'll look like when sex becomes an Olympic event.
Posted by Bill McDonald | February 12, 2010 11:01 PM
Here is an interesting article about Sherri Hiner and the business from last November. http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/11/16/smallb1.html
Posted by Westside Guy | February 12, 2010 11:52 PM
Just rewound the DVR to take a look. I believe that's Jeff Spicoli.
Posted by Chris Snethen | February 13, 2010 12:18 AM
Scratch that. After reading the above article, I'm gonna put my money on that being her oldest son, Paiton Mumpower.
One mystery solved. Another begins. Mumpower?
Posted by Chris Snethen | February 13, 2010 12:30 AM
His friends will never believe that "she owns her own mattress store" isn't a euphemism.
Posted by Dave J. | February 13, 2010 7:33 AM
It does go back to when they both lost a lot of weight, she more than him. Apparently, I'm not making this up, she took a liking to a couple of the delivery guys and well, that was that, she bought him out of the business and he went his own way.
Posted by canucken | February 13, 2010 7:44 AM
Didn't just buy him out of the business, but they unfortunately ended up with a divorce.
Posted by Mike (the other one) | February 13, 2010 9:11 AM
Sheri sez: "no lying, ever." LOL!
Take the MW Challenge and go into one of the stores. You will be there nary a minute before the lies begin to spill forth.
Posted by Ted Drescher | February 13, 2010 9:45 AM
I have one foot in the hotel biz. I always wondered where my old mattresses ended up on those trade-in deals....
Maybe I've seen too many 20/20 and 48Hours segments to buy a mattress from an outfit like MW.
Posted by RANZ | February 13, 2010 10:20 AM
It must be that my fundamental social skills are stunted from a lack of attention to tv commercials.
Who buys mattresses, anyway? What's that 'customer base'? When I've been in some Giant Showrooms, they're empty. And the Salesbots, I mean, Salesbods are creepy peeps, like 'casket Salesbods in a funeral home'-creepy, worse conversation functionality than car salesmen. I mean, salesbots.
Maybe heavy tv advertising of things makes the salesbods for it so blank-eyed. Or jaded. Tv-injected self-cynicism seems like two octaves lower of the same note as in 'drawing google hits.' And what brought the deluge of mattress advertising anyway, out of nowhere just appeared in full-flower ... like 15 years ago ... is mattresses one-fifth of The Economy now, like drugs and pills? Whatever happened to canned coffee grounds ads? or Kibbles'n'Bits chuck wagon ads, making its own gravy in the bowl?
I like Bill's 'sex as an Olympic sport' line, but that's not going to happen until there is a Fall Olympics and a Spring Olympics, (sexual innuendo intended), in rotation -- a different seasoning of the Olympic 'It' every year. Mattress athletes are NOT going to wait 4 years between torches.
Wasn't there some social maxim by the Tom Peterson precedent for divorce law that says the tv ad agency is the wife's trophy? Maybe you missed your calling, Jack, to specialize in tax law for divorce considerations.
Posted by Tenskwatawa | February 13, 2010 11:22 AM
A reader reports seeing the hipster dude in another MW commercial, with a Presidents Day theme.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 13, 2010 3:20 PM
I've always found the "guarantee" Mattress World has to be kinda funny. They say if they can't beat the price of a competitor then the mattress is free. Yeah, sure, they aren't stupid. They'd lower the price by a buck in a heartbeat rather than give away a mattress. But most people are too stupid to understand that. I will bet anyone that Mattress World has NEVER given away a mattress.
Posted by Bill | February 13, 2010 9:11 PM
Who buys mattresses, anyway? What's that 'customer base'?
For the last several years until about October 2008 I believe the customer base was made up mostly of all those people buying up 5 bedroom houses on easy credit. They were using the same credit to fill the bedrooms with beds and whatnot.
That's why Sheri's business has been hurting so.
Still, I guess there is a helluva markup on the products they are selling. Even the cheap stuff.
Posted by none | February 13, 2010 9:57 PM
I just bought two new bed sets from MW. Great deal; nice beds; competent, helpful, willing-to-deal salesmen. Can't complain. We all can't be PhDs ya know.
Posted by Bartender | February 13, 2010 10:38 PM