Another day, another Hollywood — or headline-making — name cozying up to the mattress industry. Bo Derek is the latest celebrity to slip into something a little more comfortable: a new mattress deal.
Best known for her breakout role in 10, Derek is channeling her star power, business acumen and humanitarian efforts into a new sleep and furniture collection aptly named Perfect 10. The line, set to debut later this year through a partnership with MainStreetChamber Holdings, will begin with the mattress. Plans are to add pillows, bedding and furniture to the brand.
Derek is far from the first familiar face to jump into bed with a mattress brand in either promotional roles or through licensing agreements. Celebrity-brand collaborations are hardly novel.
Let’s take a look back through a brief history.
Back in the late 1980s, Spring Air partnered with Vanna White at the height of her Wheel of Fortune days, tapping into her trusted image for the endorsement of the company’s Back Supporter line. In 2003, Jaclyn Smith of Charlie’s Angels fame brought her touch to King Koil for a mattress collaboration. Similarly, Kathy Ireland — whose name remains entrenched in home furnishings — had a partnership with Therapedic International for a mattress line.
Let’s not forget the long-running partnership Serta had with Donald Trump that began in 2009 and came to an abrupt end in 2015 following controversial comments by the then-presidential candidate.
And then there’s Tom Brady. In 2016, the NFL icon partnered with Simmons for a high-performance push behind Beautyrest Black, later pivoting to tech-forward sleep startup Molecule in 2018 to emphasize recovery and wellness. That move opened the door for athletic alignment in a space long dominated by luxury and comfort messaging.
Today, Molecule boasts endorsements from other athletes, including Olympian Michael Phelps. Around the same time, Sleep Number partnered with the NFL as the official sleep and wellness partner, and the retailer blankets the airwaves during football season with testimonials from top players, including Dallas Cowboy QB Dak Prescott. GhostBed teamed up with tennis great Venus Williams for a line in 2021.
The Scott Brothers — Drew and Jonathan — parlayed their HGTV Property Brothers fame into a robust home furnishings brand. In 2018, the Scott Living line with Restonic was introduced and the partnership was reupped in 2023.
A more current Charlie’s Angel, Drew Barrymore, also stepped into the bedroom with a partnership with Rest for a collection of cooling sleep accessories.
These partnerships aren’t just about star power; they open a door to storytelling. In a sea of rectangles, foam densities and coil counts, a celebrity’s persona can provide instant emotional context, trust and aspiration. It’s not just a bed; it’s your kind of lifestyle.
And the trend isn’t slowing down.
Word has it we’ll see new celebrity-backed bedding brands hit the market this fall. The industry is already buzzing with speculation. Could Reese Witherspoon expand on her partnership with Polywood through her Draper James lifestyle brand into the sleep category? Maybe there’s a designer out there looking to create a boutique-inspired sleep experience.
Dreams happen every day.
The key, executives in the partnership game say, lies in finding the right partner that aligns with your culture, ethos and goals.