Angi's New ASMR Ads Are Oddly Satisfying ... for Good Reason
DDIY—don't do it yourself! When it comes to home improvement, it's better to kick back, relax and let skillful pros handle the job.
That's the advice we get from Angi, which helps consumers engage contractors, in artful ads from agency Maximum Effort. Riffing on ASMR, the work illustrates "that oddly satisfying feeling when you don't do it yourself," and shows real service companies steam cleaning, caulking and house-painting.
They appear in low-key yet tactilely dynamic frames from director Vincent Peone, who presents surreal shapes, soothing sounds and playful imagery that feels both relaxed and mildly risqué:
Ah, that long, uncoiling hose. The nozzle that keeps on ... squirting. Talk about satisfaction!
"It can have some sultry undertones," concedes Angi CMO Dhanusha Sivajee, but "the goal with the creative was more focused on calmness. The ASMR elements tie in with the close-ups of the projects to show how Angi pros seamlessly get the job done."
Breaking this week, a year after the company rebranded from Angie's List, the spots represent a push to bond more deeply with consumers who grew increasingly home-focused in Covid times.
The company's past campaigns often starred founder Angie Harmon and took a more retail-oriented approach. Here, hypnotic visuals sport a spacey, post-Lurpak vibe. One imagines Dave Bowman engaging Angi to find renovators for his cosmic crib in 2001.
"We thought about what cultural trends we could tap into," Sivajee says "ASMR/soothing video is one we thought portrayed exactly what Angi is all about—delivering a sense of calmness and satisfaction."
Other branded takes on ASMR range from this Lexington, Ky., distillery tour to Axe goofing on dudes who shave their body parts and BMW's splashy car-wash experience.
CREDITS
Created by: Maximum Effort
Produced by: ArtClass Content
Talent -
Steam Cleaning: Shine Brite Carpet Cleaning
Caulking: Contractor Mike
Painting: Pezzotti Painting
