Maria Salgado on “Champions of Winter”
Eight Sleep’s “Champions of Winter” campaign has garnered a Best of Best recognition in the 2024 Creative Communication Awards. The campaign defies winter’s chill by highlighting how a great night’s sleep can help you stay energized despite the season’s draining conditions. Below, Maria Salgado, Brand Creative Manager at Eight Sleep, discusses the project’s origin, the challenges her team overcame, and the creative journey that led to this high-profile award.
Award: Best of Best in Digital marketing / Advertising (2024 C2A)
Project: Champions of Winter
Company: Eight Sleep
Lead: Maria Salgado, Brand Creative Manager
1. Could you provide a brief background about yourself or your creative practice?
Maria Salgado: I’m a Brand Creative Manager at Eight Sleep, where I handle brand campaigns, design, and art direction. I started out in design, focusing on visuals and brand consistency, but as I grew in my career, I realized my true passion was crafting stories and shaping brand narratives. This interest led me to move into marketing and campaign strategy, where I could oversee both creative execution and the bigger picture—from shaping messaging to collaborating with different teams on strategy.
Over the years, I’ve directed photoshoots with athletes like Charles Leclerc and Taylor Fritz, managed brand collaborations, and helped define Eight Sleep’s storytelling across platforms. It’s about combining creativity and strategy to make a real impact.
2. What was the brief for your award-winning project? What were the primary goals or instructions that guided its success?
Maria Salgado: For the Winter 2023 “Champions of Winter” campaign, we wanted to demonstrate how Eight Sleep’s Pod helps people fully recharge during the colder months. Winter can sap your energy, so we aimed to show that the right sleep technology can make you wake up feeling energized. We timed the campaign around Black Friday and the holiday season—using captivating visuals across paid ads, social, and our website—to maximize engagement and conversions. Our consistency in timing and messaging was key to building visibility, and it was particularly gratifying to see it recognized with this Best of Best award.
3. What inspired your award-winning project?
Maria Salgado: We took inspiration from the common struggles that winter brings—less daylight, cold weather, and drained motivation. Rather than focus on the negative, we flipped it to highlight how Eight Sleep’s Pod could be the solution. No matter how harsh the season gets, our users can be “Champions of Winter” by waking up fully recharged, ready to conquer the day. We wanted to emphasize an empowering narrative: you can feel unstoppable even in the toughest months.
4. What challenges did you face during the creation of your award-winning project, and how did you overcome them?
Maria Salgado: One challenge was ensuring that every shot maintained a high level of quality and stayed aligned with the campaign’s vision. We shot in a studio, which gave us full control over lighting and composition, but it also required precise planning to guarantee we captured everything needed for ads, social posts, and other brand touchpoints.
Another hurdle was balancing the artistic vision with practical campaign needs—making sure visuals, text, and branding elements worked smoothly together. We relied on thorough pre-production planning, real-time collaboration, and carefully structured post-production to keep the final assets cohesive and compelling across all platforms.
5. What sparked your passion for graphic design, communication design, or photography? How has your creative journey evolved over time?
Maria Salgado: My passion comes from a family of creatives—my parents were shoe designers, and my sister is a photographer. I grew up around aesthetics, noticing the balance of design and fashion details. Early on, I wasn’t certain of my career path, but studying photography and landing internships with leading Portuguese photographers helped me realize my true calling. Eventually, I transitioned into communication design, and today, as a Brand Creative Manager, I get to merge my love of visuals with strategic storytelling to create campaigns that resonate.
6. How do you stay updated on the latest trends, such as AI? What are your thoughts on their impact on the creative industry?
Maria Salgado: I keep myself informed by reading, learning, and sharing insights with my team. We test out new tools together to see how they can enhance our projects. AI can definitely boost efficiency and expand what’s creatively possible. However, I believe the “human touch” is what truly makes creativity special. It’s about using AI thoughtfully, so it complements rather than replaces our core creative instincts.
7. What steps do you take to continue growing as a designer or creative professional?
Maria Salgado: I stay inspired by immersing myself in a variety of creative fields—design, photography, art, fashion, and more. I follow the work of top creatives and look for fresh perspectives, whether through social media or hands-on workshops. Feedback loops and collaboration with diverse teams also help me push my boundaries and evolve, both personally and professionally.
8. What inspires your imagination, and how do you nurture creativity in your daily life?
Maria Salgado: Surrounding myself with creativity is key—following designers I admire, enrolling in courses, or simply observing the world around me. I’ve lived in cities like Porto, Barcelona, New York, and Amsterdam, and each place offered unique cultural and aesthetic influences. Those experiences feed my curiosity and help me approach creative challenges from a range of viewpoints.
9. Who are your biggest influences or the creatives you admire most in your field (past or present)?
Maria Salgado: I’m drawn to boundary-pushers like Virgil Abloh, who fused fashion, design, and culture in unexpected ways. Daniel Arsham inspires me with his ability to blend time, material, and perception into artwork that feels simultaneously futuristic and nostalgic. Gibson Hazard elevates video and motion design, creating cinematic experiences that are larger than life. Their collective approach to challenging norms motivates me to keep exploring fresh territory in my own work.
10. How do you balance your clients’ needs with your personal creative style?
Maria Salgado: I believe in truly understanding a brand’s values and audience before I start bringing in my own creative perspective. By aligning with the brand’s vision, it’s easier to propose fresh ideas that still serve the brand’s goals. Clear communication, mutual trust, and an openness to collaboration are vital. When those elements are in place, it’s much simpler to find common ground between my style and the brand’s identity.
11. How do you feel about receiving a Creative Communication Award?
Maria Salgado: It’s an incredible feeling. This award is a testament to the team’s collective talent and dedication—we really lean on each other’s creativity. Being recognized is both humbling and energizing, reminding me why I love this work and pushing me to keep aiming for excellence. Collaboration has always been a huge part of my success, and this award celebrates that.
Champions of Winter: Elevating Sleep Through Storytelling
The “Champions of Winter” campaign embodies Eight Sleep’s commitment to helping people navigate the toughest season with renewed vigor. By strategically timing the campaign around holiday shopping and Black Friday, Maria Salgado and her team created striking visuals that seamlessly spanned digital ads, social media, and the brand’s website. In doing so, they highlighted how the Pod can be a game-changer for those struggling with winter fatigue. It’s a story of empowerment and revitalization—one that clearly resonated, securing a coveted Best of Best distinction in 2024.
