For one night each year, the internet collectively directs its attention to the Met Gala, a glamorous fundraising event where A-list celebrities don avant-garde outfits tied to an aesthetic theme. So, when the theme of this year’s gala was revealed to be “Sleeping Beauties,” over-the-counter sleep aid brand Unisom seized the opportunity to join the social media conversation with a buzzy brand activation.

Unisom partnered with fashion designer Christian Siriano, tasking him with creating a collection of dreamlike gowns that a group of micro-influencer models wore as they (along with Siriano) paraded through the streets of New York on their way to the Met Gala. During the activation, the influencers, Siriano and the two agencies behind the campaign—Lippe Taylor and The Martin Agency—all captured photos and videos to share across social media.

Even before that, in the days leading up to the gala, the Unisom team shared teasers on its social channels to generate excitement around the collaboration. They also jumped into the comments sections of trending social posts discussing the approaching Met Gala to get the brand in front of netizens most likely to be voraciously consuming social content the night of the gala. 

The combined social content from the brand, Siriano and the micro-influencers modeling his gown collection undoubtedly achieved Unisom’s goal of drawing the internet’s attention. Unisom’s recap video of the activation garnered more than 5.5 million impressions with paid support, and the group of models together shared roughly a dozen social posts that amassed over 2,000 organic engagements overall. Ultimately, Unisom’s Met Gala moment drove a 47% increase in aided brand awareness, according to the brand.