Edelweiss Gets Fresh with First-Person Alpine ASMR
Ever since launching its ‘Feel the Alps’ platform back in 2021, the Austrian wheat beer brand has been bringing a fresh and fashionable new perspective to the European mountain range. Not a cuckoo clock or lederhosen in sight. Instead, in a bid to appeal to a new generation, the marketing team for Edelweiss and its agency, Fred & Farid, have been focusing on the sensations and emotions evoked by the crisp air, lush greens forests and endless blue skies.
Asian markets in particular have been an key target for the Heineken-owned beer brand, particularly as the wheat beer taste and the Alpine aesthetic represents something exotic and refreshing in those countries.
Capitalising on that growing popularity, the team has created a new campaign that will air across TV and digital in South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, and China. The hero film, directed by fashion photographer Hans Neumann, combines an immersive first-person perspective and spine-tingling ASMR to give viewers a taste of that Alpine feeling. It’s also been shot and styled with a distinctly high fashion look to reinforce the brand’s premium values and to creatively convey the vivid blue, white and yellow of the brand’s distinctive colours.
Eric Halgand, global head of Future Brands Portfolio spoke to LBB’s Laura Swinton to dissect the new campaign
LBB> How does this new campaign build on the launch campaign from 2021 that brought the brand to new markets and 2022's big push and move things forward?
Eric> Our ‘Feel the Alps’ campaign is all about capturing the unique sensation of drinking Edelweiss. Edelweiss is more than just another premium beer - it's an elevated taste experience. Drinking Edelweiss is like embarking on a sensorial journey like no other, where you can truly feel the essence of the Alps through all your senses.
This new creative builds off the success of the award-winning first ‘Feel the Alps’ creative – and this time we’re going a step further. This year’s campaign is all about tantalising the senses, in the most literal sense. By incorporating ASMR elements, we wanted to truly enhance the pure alpine sensations and capture the essence of Edelweiss and the experience of consuming it.
Wheat beer has been rapidly growing in popularity across Asia for some time now, with consumers enjoying its delicate, smooth and flavourful taste. In fact, wheat beer is growing at a five-year rate of 23% in APAC, and recently surpassed North America to become the second largest wheat beer region in the world. Building on this success in the region, as well as the previous success of last year’s campaign, we wanted to bring the Edelweiss experience to life in a unique new way.
LBB> And how has the Edelweiss brand grown over those two years and where do you want to get it to?
Eric> As previously mentioned, wheat beer has seen strong growth in APAC since our launch in 2021. Capitalising on this trend towards beer exploration, we saw an opportunity to develop a new campaign that would push the ‘Feel the Alps’ platform forward and appeal to premium beer drinkers in an innovative and unique way.
With this campaign, we aimed to challenge preconceptions about beer advertising and offer a fresh and different approach that captures the unique experience of drinking Edelweiss. To bring our vision to life, we teamed up with renowned fashion photographer, Hans Neumann, to create a bold visual look and feel for the brand.
LBB> What was the consumer insight that underpins this particular campaign?
Eric> In many Asian markets, beer is mainly referring to lager beer, which is thirst-quenching but may lack a distinct taste profile. Consumers are looking for more sophisticated drinks to indulge in and reward themselves with, and lager beer may sometimes not be the best fit. Inspired by its unique provenance from the Alps mountains, Edelweiss offers a totally new beer experience that takes you on a delightful sensory journey.
Our goal for this campaign was to showcase the unique flavours and sensations of Edelweiss and highlight how they can spark a full sensorial experience that transports consumers outside of their everyday routine. We aimed to create a fully immersive campaign that harnessed the growing popularity of ASMR, while also creating a bold new look and feel for the brand that fully immersed consumers in the world of the Alps through Edelweiss.
According to YouTube’s Culture and Trends Report 2021, 83% of gen z use YouTube to watch soothing content – such as ASMR – that helps them to relax. Therefore, ‘Feel the Alps’ cleverly leverages the growing popularity of relaxing ASMR content, drawing a subtle connection back to the brand’s identity which has always embodied the relaxed, calming attitude of the Alps.
LBB> This campaign is specifically aimed at East Asian and Southeast Asian markets – and for that audience the Alps are quite an exotic geography and aesthetic. How does that inform your approach to communicating the Alpine world of the brand?
Eric> The Alps represent an aspirational location for consumers in Asia, with their snow-capped mountains symbolising premium quality, purity, and naturalness. The spirit of the Alps is an integral part of our brand’s DNA. We aim to convey a sensorial, glamorous, and premium image of the Alps that drive a link to the Edelweiss product: an extra delicate and sophisticated beer.
LBB> The casting and styling on the campaign feels very 'fashion' which feels very unusual for a beer - can you talk me through that?
Eric> We’ve teamed up with world-renowned fashion photographer, Hans Neumann, to bring to life a bold new vision for the brand. As I mentioned before, we’re looking to challenge preconceptions of beer advertising with this campaign, so we’re embracing a very distinctive direction that draws inspiration from fashion or beauty advertising.
With Neumann’s craftsmanship, the new campaign truly tantalises the senses, bringing to life the Edelweiss experience for consumers in an exciting new way. We wanted to lean into that sensory experience, as well as embodying our brand identity via the aesthetic of the Alps. Working with Neumann felt like the perfect way to bring this to life in a way that combines the artistry of fashion with our brand identity.
LBB> And what can the Edelweiss brand offer consumers in these markets that other brands cannot?
Eric> Edelweiss strikes a unique balance of authenticity and modernity. While its brewing process can be traced back to the 17th century, the proposition has been thoughtfully updated with a contemporary twist to appeal to the taste preferences of new generations.
Edelweiss occupies a unique position in the beer market as it provides an extra sensorial and indulgent experience that goes beyond the typical refreshment promise of traditional beers. In today's crowded market, consumers are looking for more than just ordinary experiences. They crave small rewards, and Edelweiss provides a beer experience that matches their evolving needs.
LBB> The brand has consistently tried to capture a very specific feeling of space and freedom and freshness - what sort of insights do you have about what these feelings mean to consumers in these markets?
Eric> Our research has revealed that consumers now value low-key social moments more than ever. They prefer to connect and relax with friends in intimate groups. Edelweiss has always embodied that care-free, relaxed alpine attitude that invites consumers to take a break to unwind with close friends.
This signifies a move towards a more peaceful atmosphere, which aligns with the experience we aim to convey through this campaign. Moreover, the incorporation of ASMR elements enhances the soothing aspect of the Edelweiss experience.
LBB> The first-person perspective and the ASMR really heightens the mission to communicate a very visceral, immediate sensation - how did those elements come about?
Eric> We wanted to do something completely fresh and different. The campaign seeks to capture the essence of drinking Edelweiss in a way that is visceral and sensorial, challenging preconceptions about what a beer advertisement can be. By utilising ASMR, we aim to truly capture the multi-sensory experience of drinking Edelweiss.
I strongly believe that visual and auditory stimuli have the power to evoke intense emotions. In my view, the effectiveness of advertising lies in its ability to elicit an emotional response from the audience. Emotion is an incredibly potent selling tool, and we’re aiming to create that profound and lasting emotional impact with the ‘Feel the Alps’ campaign.
LBB> What were some of the most interesting challenges you faced bringing this campaign to life?
Eric> As I mentioned earlier, our main objective was to challenge preconceptions about beer advertising – which presents our biggest challenge in itself.
We wanted to do something totally fresh, and in turn, that brings the challenge of making sure we remain relevant to our key audience, and that Edelweiss beer remains in the spotlight. Using the ASMR and sensory elements of the campaign, we aimed to stay true to our brand identity and Alpine heritage, whilst pushing boundaries of beer advertising in the way we wanted.
Working with Hans Neumann also helped us achieve this. We knew Neumann’s editorial style would complement Edelweiss, which is known to be an elevated wheat beer that brings consumers a taste of premium indulgence.
LBB> From a media perspective, how will this campaign be rolling out? And aside from the hero film, how else will the brand be showing up?
The new ‘Feel the Alps’ will air across digital and cinema in South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, and China from May 2023 onward. The ‘Feel the Alps’ ASMR video will be available to watch here from the 10th of May 2023, and additional content will be available on the Edelweiss YouTube channel.
To bring the campaign launch to life, we are opening pop-up locations in both Taiwan and South Korea, allowing consumers and media alike to immerse themselves physically in the Edelweiss sensorial world.
