It’s not just a product. It’s a whole mood.
Scroll through your Instagram, catch a YouTube pre-roll, or pause mid-way through a Spotify ad, notice something? You’re not being sold products anymore. You’re being sold a vibe.
Gone are the days when ads harped on about specs, stats, or the five reasons you should buy a product. Today’s marketing is subtler, more emotional, and far more immersive. It doesn’t scream “Buy now!”, it whispers, “This feels like you.”
From Products to Personas
Let’s take CRED for example. At its core, it’s an app that helps you pay your credit card bills. Sounds dry, right? But when CRED entered the scene, it didn’t just say “We’re useful.” It said, “We’re cool.”
From Anil Kapoor aging backward to Rahul Dravid losing his calm in Bengaluru traffic, CRED’s ads became pop culture moments. They weren’t explaining the app’s features. They were building a feeling: smart, sleek, witty. Using nostalgia, irony, and meme culture, CRED turned financial responsibility into something aspirational. Something that just felt good.
TIRA: Beauty, but Make it a Vibe
Now let’s talk about TIRA, Reliance’s luxe beauty venture. TIRA doesn’t just sell makeup, it sells transformation, confidence, drama, and identity. The branding is drenched in mood. Think moody purples, glowy skin, soft jazz vibes, TIRA isn’t in your face. It’s on your pulse.
Their campaigns feel like the kind of content you’d want to save on Pinterest or share on stories with a “This >>” caption. They’re not saying “Buy this lipstick.” They’re saying, “This is who you are with this lipstick.”
Perfume Ads Walked So Vibes Could Run
Perfume commercials have always been ahead of this curve. Remember those abstract, surreal fragrance ads where a model walks through a rainstorm in a tuxedo, or floats in the sky whispering a brand name? You never knew what was going on, but you felt something.
Perfume ads didn’t tell you what the scent was, they told you what it felt like. Mysterious. Sensual. Untouchable. That was the earliest form of vibe-marketing—and now, it’s everywhere.
Why the Shift?
A few reasons:
- Short attention spans. People don’t want to process. They want to feel instantly.
- Emotional decisions. Most purchases, especially in lifestyle, fashion, beauty, or tech, are emotion-led.
- Content saturation. Everyone is selling something. The ones who stand out don’t sell—they resonate.
- Culture shift. Gen Z and Millennials aren’t loyal to features—they’re loyal to feelings. They choose brands that reflect their identity, not just their needs.
Vibes = Visuals + Music + Language
The best vibe-led campaigns nail this trio:
- Visuals that transport you—dreamy filters, clean edits, strong color palettes.
- Music that makes you feel—lo-fi beats, dramatic scores, or nostalgic hits.
- Language that’s less about explanation and more about emotion. Words that hit instead of inform.
So, what’s the Takeaway?
If you’re a brand (or someone building one), ask yourself:
Are you selling a product or a feeling? Because in 2025, features are forgettable. But vibes? Vibes are forever. And the brands that understand this will no longer chase attention, they’ll attract it. So next time you build a campaign, don’t just say what your product does. Say what it feels like. And make sure it feels damn good.
Ready to turn your brand into a whole vibe?
Let’s create something that doesn’t just sell but resonates. Talk to us and let’s build campaigns that feel like you.
