The driver door closing, fingertips slowly stroking the passenger seat, leaving behind a soft grazing noise. A whir accompanies the activation of the parking brake. In an ASMR video on the new Audi R8 GT*, these small sounds come to life in “close-ups”.

ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. Meridians in humans are associated with organs, bodily functions and the psyche. Sounds and their associated images can stimulate these pathways and trigger positive physical reactions and pleasant feelings. The most well-known of them are a tingling scalp and a positive feeling often described as a “shiver of delight”. What exactly is happening in the body has not yet been fully researched. It’s assumed that the parts of the brain that process rewards and emotional excitement are being stimulated through neurotransmitters.

In ASMR videos, the emotions associated with a sports car can be fully conveyed – well beyond the typical engine sounds. In combination with detailed images, a material’s quality can become a kind of acoustic close-up. Example sequences from the new video include clicking a button in the cockpit and stroking a surface with a hand – all shot with calm, slow, close-up camera motions and macro shots. Philip Hollerbach produces videos for the Audi Communications department: “Especially for a supercar like the Audi R8 GT*, the ASMR style is perfectly suited to bring the value of the materials to life in unknown dimensions – and above all, very emotionally.”