It's one of the most cringe-worthy yet effective methods of advertising, using an extravagant persona to brand your product. Think Barry Scott, Harvey Norman and our own Mattress Mick.
Located on Dublin's Pearse Street, it looks as though the Mattress Mick store is an absolute farce but there's a much deeper story embedded to be told here. In 2008 the crash hit businesses nationwide and Mattress Mick's was no exception. The recession caused huge financial strain for the family business and brought them to their knees. Paul Kelly cultivated the character of Mattress Mick through Michael Flynn and this collaboration is what reignited interest in the business and ultimately saved it from financial ruin.
Documentary maker Colm Quinn saw the potential this pairing had and believed their story was one worth telling. For the last 3 years, he has been intimately following the two men and getting to know the real stories and people behind the Mattress Mick facade.
The Toronto HotDocs festival also recognise the passion behind the story too as they have selected Mattress Men to screen there. This is of huge significance to all involved in the documentary as HotDocs is Canada's largest documentary film festival, drawing in audiences of around 200,000.
Mattress Mick himself is relishing in his newfound international fame as he enthused to the Daily Edge: "Mattress Mick is now a recognised international phenomenon and this is my first step to world domination. Toronto will have a spring in it’s step when I bring over the Mattress magic and I’m looking forward to seeing my story on the big screen."
The 2016 HotDocs festival will run from April 28 to May 8.