While many might not recognize the term ASMR, it’s a phenomenon that they might already experience without knowing it. ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response, is described as a feeling of ultimate relaxation. Those who experience ASMR describe it as a tingling sensation along the back or neck as a response to hearing triggering sounds.
Using a multitude of ASMR triggers, actress Zoe Kravitz appeared in a Super Bowl advertisement to sell Michelob Ultra beer. Not everyone understood the purpose of the video, according to CNN .
While ASMR has existed for a long time, it was not widely talked about until recent years. There is now an entire YouTube community focused solely on videos aimed at providing this type of bliss for viewers. ASMR triggers can come in many forms, from soft whispering to the sounds of rain, or a soothing voice. If one stumbled upon these types of videos with no background knowledge on the concept, they might find the idea a little strange. YouTubers go to great lengths to create these soothing videos, whispering into dual microphones or using props to create these sort of triggering sounds. Nevertheless, ASMR is growing in popularity and helping some viewers in a multitude of ways.
Fans of ASMR have found the videos quite therapeutic, noticing a significant decrease in their stress levels after viewing them. Some even turn to ASMR as a type of therapy, offering them relief from issues of depression and anxiety. Others find the videos helpful in helping them unwind or drift off to sleep after a stressful day.
Zoe Kravitz does ASMR in Michelob Ultra’s Super Bowl ad https://t.co/7Y6cGeVL4n pic.twitter.com/Rk3ZJ1ZmEZ
— Ad Age (@adage) February 3, 2019
While ASMR may offer a plethora of benefits for some, it is certainly not for everybody. Many spoke out in criticism of the Michelob Ultra advertisement, deeming it a strange way to sell beer. In the video, Kravitz sits at a table in the middle of a lush rain forest with a bottle of the new beer. There is no music and only the sound of water trickling nearby. She taps her nails along the bottle and speaks only in a whisper throughout the advertisement.
“Let’s all experience something together. This place, so pure, you can feel it. This beer so pure you can taste it. Michelob Ultra pure gold.”
Michelob Ultra is known for its low-cal beers. The new Pure Gold version has only 2.5 grams of carbohydrates and 85 calories per 12 bottle. While the ASMR concept may have been lost on some, it definitely got the nation talking.
