ASMR, short for autonomous sensory meridian response, is the pleasurable tingle we feel when watching or hearing something oddly satisfying. It’s also a trend that dates back to around 2013. Whether it’s the sound of nails tapping against a surface, the visual of something dirty being scrubbed spotless, or some other oddly satisfying sound or visual, people are drawn to ASMR content on social media. Here’s how brands and influencers can leverage the ASMR trend.
Why the ASMR trend is effective for brands and influencers
The ASMR trend is constantly evolving and expanding as people find ways to put their own unique spin on it. It’s even recently become popular to use ASMR content as a sleep aid, with podcasts and sound bites made to help people relax and or eventually fall asleep.
Posts using the hashtag #OddlySatisfying have more than 81.2 billion views on TikTok, and there are 3.6 million posts on Instagram with the hashtag as of August. Similarly, the #ASMR hashtag has 401 billion views and 13.1 million posts on Instagram. ASMR is one of the most popular searches on YouTube, with the platform reporting that relaxation videos have increased by 70%. This means brands have a great opportunity to stand out and increase engagement with their audience by engaging in this trend, which can be effective in reaching the Gen Z and millennial market.
Nowadays, the most common ads includes loud, boisterous videos or audio, in an effort to “grab attention.” However, some prefer ASMR-style ads, which are much more soothing. Brands and influencers can provide their audience with a unique virtual sensory experience, sparking new connections or deepening existing ones. ASMR creates positive associations by promoting the product in a calming and pleasant way. If done properly, consumers will feel the sensations the brand or influencer is attempting to portray, which will cause them to feel more physically connected to the company or person.
The best part is, that ASMR content is fairly easy to make. It doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment or editing and can be done quickly.
ASMR content
It’s important for brands and influencers to consider that not every product will be an ideal subject for this type of content, but just about any tangible product can work. Presenting the product’s benefits by having someone produce a relaxing sound or a pleasing visual from it is the best way to go. Food and drink brands have been using this method for quite some time now, implementing the sound of the drink fizzing or the sound of biting into something crunchy. It highlights the little things that make the product enjoyable.
There’s a huge variety of ASMR advertisement videos created by brands, with YouTube being a popular platform for them. IKEA crafted a 25-minute YouTube video showing someone making a dorm bed using sheets from IKEA. The video emphasized the crinkling, scratching and tapping sounds to provide the ASMR effect and it has amassed over 3 million views.
There was also Lush, a cosmetics brand, who collaborated with ASMR artist, Taylor Darling, to promote its luxurious lavender-infused products. The video is accompanied by the relaxing sounds produced as the product is being used, such as water fizzing and nails tapping. She was also whispering, which is found to be an ASMR trigger as well, earning the video more than 1.7 million views. There are also influencers who specialize in this kind of content and grow pretty popular from doing so. One influencer created a video making kissing and mouth sounds that has reached over 16 million views. YouTube is also flooded with eating videos, which have become extremely popular, reaching over 100 million views.
One way to create the content is to work with an ASMR influencer who creates #oddlysatisfying content. With the plethora of content already available, brands and influencers have plenty of ASMR inspiration to work with.