Cracking the market

Seoul – Ritz Crackers has released a new ad that taps into the power of the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR).

• ASMR is perceived as a pleasant tingling sensation and is triggered by certain sounds
• Sales of Ritz Crackers grew by 33% following the release of the ad, according to ad agency FCB Seoul

Taste It With Your Ears taps into ASMR to highlight the crispiness of Ritz Crackers. It depicts a model as she opens, snaps apart and eats a Ritz Cracker, with each action accompanied by an immersive sound recording.

Following the launch of the ad, which received 3.6m views on YouTube in six weeks, sales of Ritz Crackers rose by 33%, according to FCB Seoul. The ad also inspired some viewers to create their own parody versions, which together amassed more than 100,000 views on YouTube.

‘Instead of simply mentioning crispiness in the ad, we wanted to allow people to experience it,’ explains Taejay Lee, executive creative director at FCB Seoul. ‘With the use of ASMR and sounds from the product, the film stays true to the essence of the cracker, and stands out among noisy and loud snack ads in Korea.’

The use of ASMR in advertising is particularly prevalent in East Asia, but a campaign by KFC aimed to introduce the phenomenon to Western consumers.