Noosa tries ASMR, ‘oddly satisfying’ videos to elevate yogurt brand’s positioning

Dive Brief:

• Sovos Brands’ Noosa yogurt line launched a new campaign that taps into the internet video genres around autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and “oddly satisfying” content, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
• The “Full On Tasty” campaign, the first work with new lead agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP), includes a 30-second spot called “Full on Tasty,” as well as shorter 15-second versions that highlight individual ingredients. The videos use visual ASMR to highlight the creamy texture of the yogurt and its fresh honey flavor.
• These videos will appear on connected TV nationally, as well as across social media. The promotion will also include in-store and out-of-home elements.

Dive Insight:

Sovos Brands, which acquired Noosa in October 2018, wants to create a more premium positioning for the yogurt line without losing the brand’s playfulness, which it is attempting to do by combining “luscious food photography with fun ingredient stories,” BSSP Group Creative Director Anders Gustafsson said in a statement.

The campaign, the first under Sovos Brands’ stewardship, highlights the appealing elements of the yogurt through visual and auditory stimulation with images of swirls of yogurt, drizzles of honey and falling berries. Tapping into meme culture with videos that fit into genres like ASMR and “oddly satisfying” could help the brand build awareness with consumers interested in this content. “Oddly satisfying” videos typically portray repetitive actions or events, like dominos falling. ASMR, which uses soft, soothing sounds, has been leveraged in videos from brands like SodaStream, Reese Canada and Chili’s.

A media strategy focused on CTV and internet culture is a change in direction for the Noosa brand, which as a startup, handed out samples with street teams but is now the fastest growing brand in the yogurt category, according to Sovos. Greek yogurt has dominated the category for several years with strong performances from Fage, Chobani and Dannon. However category sales have dipped in recent years and Noosa is positioning itself to grab a bigger share of the market.

Noosa was co-founded in 2009 by Koel Thomae, an Australian expat, and Rob Graves, a Colorado dairy farmer. The product is positioned as an all-natural Australian-style yogurt that uses farm fresh ingredients such as whole milk, wildflower North American honey and real fruit purees.

The new campaign also plays up Noosa’s Australian connection. The “Full On” tagline for the new campaign is Aussie lingo, an association that could be appealing to consumers looking beyond American yogurts that are often associated with added sugars and processing.