Goosebumps, Music, and Marketing
Have you ever gotten goosebumps while you’ve been listening to music? Apparently that’s a thing.
It’s a condition called Frisson. According to Wikipedia,
“Frisson: (French for "shiver"), also known as aesthetic chills or psychogenic shivers, is a psychophysiological response to rewarding stimuli (including music, films, stories, people, photos, and rituals) that often induces a pleasurable or otherwise positively-valenced affective state and transient paresthesia (skin tingling or chills), sometimes along with piloerection (goose bumps) and mydriasis (pupil dilation). The sensation can occur as a mildly to moderately pleasurable emotional response to music with skin tingling.”
Hearing your favorite song. The beat drops. That slow tune brings you back to an amazing memory from 10 years ago. Goosebumps. Approximately 50% (some studies suggest anywhere up to 86%) of people experience frisson when listening to music. And maybe an even bolder physical response like your pupils dilating, chills, or skin tingling. Talk about an awesome split second reaction.
The Science Behind Frisson
Wikipedia goes on to say that individuals who experience frisson are extremely influenced by stimuli. People who score high for this personality trait have:
- High Openness to Experience
- Amazing active listening skills
- Very high emotional responsiveness
- Are often Musicians
Neurologically, people who are affected by this condition have stronger neural connections and experience even a dopamine release while listening to music, causing said physical sensations like goosebumps or chills. Other common triggers are drastic, sudden changes in music, speeches, movies, nature, and artwork.
Emotions in Advertising
Now let’s think about how some ads can elicit the same response. And how marketers are using that to their advantage.
Take this Apple ad for their Mac products, for example:
That’s some damn good advertising.
I “got” frisson when I first watched this video. We were doing research for an existing client and studying the arching themes in several video campaigns. This is generally a kick-ass ad. (Aren’t most things that Apple create a win??) Everything is working in this ad: the timing, the theme, the overall idea, the sound effects, and the music, - and how it makes you feel. That feeling of nostalgia, home, family, and happiness. I think they knew what they were doing, playing into all of those emotions. And for me it sticks in my mind because of the physical reaction that I had to it. I got goosebumps. It makes me remember the brand, and inspires me to create and evoke similar emotions.
SMA Mindset
We are always saying, “Think like your customer.” What music would my customer love? What would they connect to the most? What would make their pupils dilate or give them goosebumps?
What’s more, if Frisson-experiencers have a “High Openness to Experience,” what new experiences can we expose them to? Maybe a really fun new digital adventure? Something to think about.
This is strange and weird all at the same time to be thinking this deeply - but that just might be the thing that separates you from your competitor. The power of music and advertising working together.
Frisson: Your New Favorite Word?
The best storytellers understand all of this science (especially behind frisson), evoking emotion, and creating a connection. They play into that to get you to connect to the brand. This is why we remember and love ads from our childhood: “I’m a big kid now!” from the Toys R Us jingle. I can still sing it word for word. Or “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup!” Imprinted on our brains.
Music and the way it makes you feel/remember/transports you - it just goes hand in hand. And it’s interesting to know the physical connection between music and frisson.
The next time you are at a concert, simply listening to music on Spotify, or see an ad campaign like the ones that Apple are creating - pay attention to your visceral reaction to it. Did you get goosebumps? How did it make you feel? If you experienced frisson, the marketers are clearly doing their job.
