Ever got goosebumps, brain tingles and overall relaxation from watching a close-microphone video on your Instagram feed? Then you have been exposed to one of the most pleasurable niche content on the Internet – ASMR.
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) stands for the tingling sensations one gets when exposed to certain sounds and visuals. Soft, repetitive, high-quality sound patterns that take you back to your basics. A passing train. Raindrops on the tarmac. The sound of pouring beer. Anything can trigger an emotional response.
Being directly intertwined with pleasure, such niche content made its way into marketing. ASMR grew into a global culture of digital artists who whisper into microphones, eat crunchy food or scratch on items that are placed next to their microphones.
Brands quickly found ways to apply ASMR storytelling in their communication strategies. Giants like IKEA or Mercedes often let the audiences immerse themselves in the product already at the ad stage.
Seeing sensory-inspired video storytelling producing feasible results, we, as specialists in EU policy communications, could not wait for an opportunity to work on an ASMR-inspired campaign for a more traditional client.
So, when Vlerick Business School, a top-ranked European university, with campuses based in the Belgian cities of Ghent, Leuven, and Brussels approached our creative team, we knew ASMR was the best way to attract students from all around the world to the university’s six Master Programs.
The Sound of Success
To help Vlerick reach international candidates, Savion Ray came up with an ASMR-inspired video storytelling concept that will resonate across cultures – the Sound of Success.
We communicated the teeny-tiny details of the university’s campus atmosphere, hooking the audience with the crisp sounds of the best moments of student life.
Enhanced audio-visual effects helped us evoke nostalgic feelings and project “future memories” while showcasing the benefits of Vlerick’s Master Programs.
Through a series of digital ads, featuring photographs, short video cuts, and GIFs to accompany the Sound of Success communications campaign we built a more engaging social media presence. Results, you ask?
Our ASMR approach to video storytelling demonstrated complex and important feelings through simple and accessible visuals and sounds: personal attention, excitement, courage, happiness, safety, and security. We knew these would resonate with young audiences worldwide.
Maybe giving people a sense of how your organization looks, feels, smells, and sounds is your winning bet, too?
We are here to help. Ask Bisera and Jeta
If you are still exploring the ways video storytelling could help explain complex issues, check out the tools we use to educate and engage your audience.
Learn about professional tips we learned along the way: what turns a policy into a story to tell, drives audience engagement, and makes complex challenges accessible and visible to the right audience. Read the full article on video storytelling here.