ASB, Youthline and BENEE launch song to ease anxiety via The Monkeys Aotearoa

In an effort to empower Kiwi youth and equip them with tools for staying ahead in life, ASB has collaborated with Youthline to unveiled Bagels, a song by BENEE scientifically designed and tested to alleviate feelings of anxiety.

This initiative involved the collaboration of The Monkeys Aotearoa, a division of Accenture Song, and brings together the talents of pop star BENEE and esteemed neuroscientists from Auckland University of Technology.

The objective of the song is to be a free tool available to anyone who is feeling anxious or overwhelmed – by listening to the song, it can help ease these symptoms.  

Using data and testing results by AUT, the agency briefed BENEE and her producer Josh Fountain to write a song using proven anxiety-relieving elements. These elements include guidance on musical keys, melody, tempo and chords. The song was then recorded by BENEE and evaluated by AUT professors to confirm it adhered to anxiety-reducing principles. 

The Monkeys and leading New Zealand animation house Assembly also produced a music video for ‘Bagels’ that is as calming as the song. Using design principles based on scientific advice – from colours to shapes to eye movements – the animated video is visually relaxing for those who watch it. 

‘Bagels’ is promoted via an integrated creative campaign appearing on social media, including TikTok and Instagram, along with digital, out of home and radio. 

ASB’s Chief Marketing Officer Helen Fitzsimons says: “Our partnership with Youthline is about delivering to our purpose and contributing meaningfully to the lives of all New Zealanders. With this campaign, we set out to create a tool to help our young people ease anxious feelings.” 

“Alongside our partner Youthline and professors at AUT, we took the scientific findings and used them to create a new song that can help ease rangatahi in the moments they feel overwhelmed or under pressure.” 

AUT lead professor Dr Dan Shepherd says: “We carried out neurological and physiological testing on 30 participants to test its effectiveness at reducing symptoms of anxiety. It works.” 

The Monkeys Chief Creative Officer Damon Stapleton adds: “We all know teenagers put their headphones on to escape the world so we wanted to tap into that insight to create a tool for them to help ease anxious feelings.  

“The Youthline partnership is one we know ASB staff are incredibly proud of and we see them having a key role to play in supporting ‘Bagels’ and the wider creative campaign.” 

BENEE says: “I think music is such a powerful tool to help with peoples’ mental health. Being open with mental health is important because it’s been pushed aside for so long. I love what Youthline do and what they stand for, so when I was asked to be a part of this project, I was excited.”  

 Revenue from the track’s streaming will be donated to Youthline.

View the music video here:

Listen to the song below:

Campaign Credits:  

Client: ASB 

Chief Marketing Officer: Helen Fitzsimons 

Brand Experience Lead: Bianca Osborne 

Marketing Manager, Community Partnerships: Hannah McHugh 

Executive Manager, Commercial Partnerships: Mark Graham 

Senior Social Media Manager: Jasmine Taggart 

Senior External Communications Manager: Hannah Searle 

Social Media Specialist: Christienne Jauregui 

External Communications Specialist: Bisera Martinovska 

Associate Marketing Manager: Samantha Wootten 

Youthline 

Chief Executive Officer: Shae Ronald 

Clinical and Services Manager: Joanna Madsen 

Fundraising, Marketing and Communications Manager: David Baker  

Partnerships Specialist: Tiffany Eastgate  

Creative Agency: The Monkeys Aotearoa, part of Accenture Song 

Chief Creative Officer: Damon Stapleton 

Chief Business Officer: Storm Day 

Head of Strategy: Tom Sykes 

Senior Strategist: Craig McLeod 

Head of Integrated Production: Rosie Grayson 

Group Business Director: Ruth Coulson 

Senior Business Manager: Olive Broughton 

Creative Director: James Conner 

Creative Director: Christie Cooper 

Senior Art Director: Liz Richards 

Senior Copywriter: Nick Dellabarca 

Art Director: Jack Close 

Copywriter: Zak Hawkins 

Design Lead: Lucinda Fortescue-Hansen 

Senior Finished Artist: Lisa Stowers 

PR Consultant: Kimberley Kastelan 

Music production partners 

BENEE – Songwriter/Artist 

Josh Fountain – Songwriter/Producer 

Tiare Kelly – BVs 

Doug Clarke – Vocal engineer 

Aaron Short – Mix engineer 

Chris Chetland – Mastering engineer 

Campbell Smith – Manager, CRS Management 

Auckland University of Technology Academic partners 

Dr Daniel Shepherd, Associate Professor AUT 

Dr Mangor Pedersen, Associate Professor AUT 

Dr Amy Kercher, Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist AUT 

Geet Vashista, Post Graduate Student AUT 

Production partners 

Production Company: Assembly  

Director: Matt Von Trott 

Lead Art Direction and Animation : Josh Fourt-Wells 

Art Direction and Animation: Frankie Principe 

3D Animator: Elliot Stronge 

Motion Designer: Will Bardebes 

Executive Producer: Jane Oak 

DOP: Darryl Ward 

Photographer and retouching: Frances Carter, Loupe Agency 

Agent: Emily Moon, Loupe Agency 

Design Agency: One Design 

Videographer: Finn Cochrane 

Grade: Pete Ritchie  

Online: Creature Films  

Sound Mixing: Liquid Studios 

Media partners 

Dentsu NZ 

Acquire NZ Search Republic

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