Snack cake maker Vachon is the latest brand to try its hand (and ears) at ASMR

Vachon wants to help Quebecers sleep like a (Billot) log. The snack cake company recently joined a growing list of brands incorporating ASMR in their marketing plans, with a quirky campaign developed by Cossette.

Timed to coincide with World Sleep Day (March 18), the French-only “Dors Dans la Joie” campaign (roughly translated as “Sleep in Joy”) is a 42-minute ASMR video of a person slowly opening, eating, and talking in hushed tones about the spongy, sugary cake.

“It’s hands down the most sleep-inducing piece we’ve ever produced—to the great delight of both the brand and anyone who lets themselves be lulled by the sweet sounds of Vachon snack cakes,” said Cossette creative director Patrick Michaud. Septième handled production on the Vachon campaign, with media by Starcom.

While studies to determine if ASMR can address sleep problems are still in their infancy, data suggests it’s a commonly used tactic to induce sleep. According to a recent article on Sleep.org, 81% of respondents in a study of ASMR said that their preferred listening time was in the evening before bed.

The ASMR phenomenon was only formally named in 2010, but just in the last few years its been used by major marketing brands including Canadian Tire, Hershey Canada and McDonald’s.

Chris Powell