In recent years we’ve seen retailers herald coffee-fuelled days, productivity hacks, industrious founders – anything related to the #hustle culture. In 2019, this narrative has been sidelined by a push for people to think more about wellness – and recharge and switch off. As “crazy-busy” becomes the opposite of aspiration, it’s new territory for brands that have built their propositions on driving productivity – this is pretty much every activewear brand, technology com
gy company and startup asking us to “do more”, “outsource more” and “achieve more”.
The notion of modern luxury has shifted down gears from conspicuous consumption to increased time, more experiences and better health.
Enter ASMR – autonomous sensory meridian response – a phenomenon that has (quietly) grown in popularity over the past few years. It’s just one of the trends driving the $4.2 billion wellness industry, alongside mainstream meditation, personalised nutrition and nature-based activities.
People are finding ASMR an easy way to decompress, especially those that haven’t mastered yoga or meditation. Recent research reported in the journal PeerJ shows most people listened to ASMR videos to relax (98 per cent), sleep (82 per cent) or deal with stress (70 per cent).
What is ASMR?
ASMR can be described as waves of tingles that typically start in the head and work through the body (like goosebumps in HD). It’s a sensation triggered by soft, repetitive sounds.
Everything from the sound of a bed being made, pages being turned in a book, to the opening of a chocolate bar can trigger the response. The sensations are yet to be fully studied, but ASMR is being used in rejuvenation therapies (like massage) and in sleep clinics.
The content method provides an opportunity for brands to connect with shoppers in a new way, on video and in real life, essentially providing a calming timeout from their busy schedules.
The concept has been around for a decade but has only recently moved mainstream, predominantly on YouTube. “ASMR” is the second-most used keyword in the 20 most viewed YouTube videos to date, right behind global game sensation Fortnite. On Instagram, there are more than seven million posts with the ASMR hashtag, and in Australia alone, its number of Google searches has tripled in the past three years.
Heather Andrew, CEO of Neuro-Insight Market Research, says “the focus in advertising is now on soft repetitive sounds rather than the traditional approach where the sound tends to be an afterthought. If the advertiser can put someone into a relaxed, passive state, that person is going to be much more susceptible to acting on that emotional appeal”.
Earlier this year, Zoe Kravitz brought ASMR into the mainstream on a Super Bowl commercial, as she whispered softly into a microphone and tapped her nails against a bottle of Michelob beer – with the intent of selling the product. The marketers behind the organic beer wanted people to associate the brand with health, nature and wellness.
“Some people go for a run, some people meditate, some people zone out to ASMR,” says Liz Taylor, the chief creative officer at FCB Chicago, the marketing agency that came up with the idea for Michelob.
Gucci’s latest project – “24HourAce” – invites a group of creatives to use their signature Ace sneaker as a blank canvas for animated ASMR artworks. Artists, collagists and directors used the sneaker’s design, digital landscape and self-expression as creative references.
Nike is in on it. It is featured in an ASMR-inspired video taking viewers through the production process behind Flyleather (“the greatest advance in leather, since leather”).
Givenchy recently searched for an ASMR star by running a competition called “The Voiceover Challenge”. Entrants had to record an audition tape of their voice over the Givenchy website.
And W Magazine has created an entire series devoted to ASMR featuring Kate Hudson, Eva Longoria, Margot Robbie and Cardi B.
Does it equate to sales?
In some cases, yes. Ikea’s “Oddly Ikea” 25-minute ASMR video featured a bed being made and pillows being plumped, and during the campaign, the furniture retailer reported a 4.5 per cent increase in store sales and a 5.1 per cent increase in online sales.
While there are more than 10 million ASMR YouTube videos, not everyone is affected by these triggers. The range of those who are varies from 20 per cent to 70 per cent.
It’s still not yet clear whether the ASMR trend is a short-lived fad or if it will spark a long-term shift. More research is needed in order for us to understand the phenomenon’s effectiveness.
Time will tell whether we see brands invest more in ASMR. Until then, it’s an experimental antidote to modern life, providing maximum chill and rewarding people for “doing less”. It’s a movement brands can and should get on board with, as living simply and not rushing through life brings a type of joy that ambition and achievement cannot.