Calm App’s Clever Ad During Election Night

Lucy Ganser

The 2020 presidential election was an election that is sure to be remembered due to the two candidates and the divide it created amongst the country not only on election day but during the months before and days after. This election had the highest voter turnout in over a century, and on Saturday, November 7, 2020, Joe Biden was elected as the 46th president of the United States. The anticipation of the days before the president-elect winner was announced, especially on election day itself, was a stressful time not only for Americans but for the entire world. As viewers tuned in on many television stations to keep up to date with the current electoral votes or to see projections for the winner of certain states, turning on the television meant they would soon be bombarded with stress. A meditation application called Calm took advantage of this overall stressful time period and used it for their company’s benefit.

Calm app sponsored a high traffic television channel, CNN, during the election night, providing awareness to their brand through the sponsorship on the bottom of the screen throughout the night. Although this sponsorship created awareness for the brand, their marketing team did not stop there. During commercial breaks the app aired a 15 second video of rain falling on leaves with the words, “Do nothing for 15 seconds” written next to the leaves. Reminding viewers to be mindful of their stress level during their viewing of the election was not only beneficial for the brand but also for the well-being of the viewers.

Social media, particularly Twitter, immediately filled with buzz surrounding the Calm app’s 15 second meditation reminder. Although some responses were mixed from annoyance for the break to gratefulness for the mental check, the brand nevertheless was being talked about. After the airing of their advertisement on election day, the application moved up 20 ranks in the App Store, even reaching #1 in the U.S. health & fitness category. Clearly, their campaign gained awareness and traction for their already expanding brand and can even serve as inspiration for other brands in the same field during the stressful times that surround our country during the pandemic.