83% of Gen Z. is into ASMR videos.

You know, the ones where the sound of someone crunching onion rings, brushing hair, or whispering sweet nothings takes centre stage.

And hey, listening to someone gently narrate a kitten’s massage may not be your jam. But given this is an extremely popular content style AND one that’s easy to replicate, today we’re going to tell you how your brand can do just that.

(Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be weird.)

In today's newsletter:

• 3 Ways your brand can harness the tingly power of ASMR (it’s way easier than you think!)

• How PlayStation used shocking ads to make the brand unforgettable (PLUS find out why their campaigns were the perfect response to the corporate fatigue of the early 2000s)

• Trend plug - One step at a time 

• Ask the Editor - How do I find time to make content every day when I’m busy running my business?

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

When I first encountered ASMR, I didn't know what was going on.

Why were these people tapping their fingernails on hard surfaces and wetting their mouths close to the microphone?

It seemed kinda yuck.

But then I put my headphones in, and...I got it.

I got that tingly feeling Cardi B so eloquently describes in her own ASMR video for W Magazine.

Some people feel more than tingles, too. Apparently, ASMR (or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) has the power to relax you AND create feelings of euphoria.

If you're lucky.

While not everyone experiences this when they see and hear ASMR content, obviously plenty do. In 2021, AMSR-related videos racked up more than 65 billion YouTube views.

So yeah, it's a pretty popular form of content creation.

But what triggers the tingly hit?

Usually, it's caused by whispers of voices and the sound of everyday objects being handled (often with long fingernails, I've noticed).

Despite there being many specific ASMR niches, it's a surprisingly easy trend to bring into your marketing strategy. And with a whopping 83% of Gen Z watching soothing content on YouTube, it's worth incorporating.

Here are 3 ways you can create ASMR content for your brand:

[Keep reading]

-Maggie, Copywriter

How PlayStation Used Shocking Ads to Create Brand

Does anybody else remember those freaky ads by PlayStation in the early 2000’s?

Or was that literally a fever dream?

It was almost like the marketers for Sony had taken a hero dose of acid and unplugged from the matrix, only to return to make these grungy, cryptic advertisements.

After watching them just now, I can confirm, they are a lot stranger than you remember. And I’m guessing that was by design. Because here I am, still writing about them 28 years later.

In 1996, PlayStation produced a flyer to distribute at Glastonbury Festival, promoting their first ever gaming console. The tiny advert featured the PlayStation logo and the copy, 'More Powerful than God.'

Obviously, at the time, the ad stirred some controversy. But, little did the world know, this would be the first of many subversive adverts that PlayStation would eventually come to be known for.

Different Place. Different Rules.

This phrase is the thematic commonality amongst almost all the PlayStation ads of the late 90’s and early 2000s.

The simple idea was the head-on collision of mundane happenings of daily life, and obscure, surreal, and unsettling abstractions.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Writer

Trend Plug - One Step at a Time

We're throwing it back to the late noughties with today's trend, coming from Jordin Spark's song, 'One Step at a Time'.

The trending sound has been used in over 70k videos, with the song starting with the sound of someone walking in heels along a sidewalk. When paired with the song's sassy lyrics, it makes for an empowering viral anthem.

This sound is pretty versatile, with the common theme being anytime you want to walk with intention. It might be walking to get away from something or to get somewhere quickly.

How to jump on this trend:

Take a full-length shot of yourself (including your legs). Using this sound, strut to the beat of the song. Add your onscreen text explaining why you're walking so fiercely.

A few ideas to get you started:

• Me walking away from my laptop after a long day of scrolling on TikTok

• Me stomping across the office to tell my work bestie the latest tea

• Me on my way to hand in my presentation that I worked on all night

-Abdel, Social Media Coordinator

Ask the Editor

Q - I own a one-person business and also have 2 kids so I'm pretty time poor. How do I find time to post content consistently? - Kimberley

Hey Kimberley!

If you're finding you don't have a lot of time to create content, I'm guessing the real problem is you don't have a solid idea. So each time you need to write a post or make a video, you're starting from square one. Of course you're going to have a hard time, because you're overthinking every little element of each piece of content.

Let's be honest--if you're spending more than 20-30 minutes a day on your content, you're probably not going to stick with it. My advice is to spend some time working out the big idea of what your content is always going to be about. This article will help you get started in coming up with what that big idea is.

Then, when it comes to creating a piece of content, you don't have to come up with a totally new idea. Instead, you're just working off the idea you've already fleshed out. That should mean it’s pretty easy to stay consistent because it doesn’t require too much thought or time.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

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