The inventive and amusing marketing strategy employed by meditation application Calm, which involved sponsoring CNN’s coverage of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results earlier this week, appears to have been beneficial for the company. The application, which currently provides guided meditations, tranquil sounds, and bedtime stories, was displayed on screen during CNN’s “Key Race Alert” segments, serving as a reminder to users about the importance of relaxation during a period of heightened stress.

Data obtained from Sensor Tower and App Annie, both respected third-party app store analytics and marketing companies, indicates that these CNN advertisements significantly contributed to an increase in Calm’s download numbers, as evidenced by the app’s improved position in app store rankings.

App Annie reports that on iPhones within the United States, Calm experienced a rise of 20 positions from the day before the election, ultimately reaching the No. 79 spot overall among all applications and games in the U.S. It also achieved the No. 1 ranking within the U.S. Health & Fitness category.

The company notes that this is the highest ranking the app has attained since July 21, when it reached No. 60—an improvement likely linked to the release of a Sleep Story narrated by Harry Styles. Although Calm introduced another new Sleep Story on October 30, Sensor Tower observed that it did not have the same impact as the one featuring Styles.

A representative from Calm clarified that the decision to launch the CNN advertising campaign was motivated by a desire to connect the brand with the anxiety that their meditations and calming sounds are designed to alleviate.

“We recognize that the uncertainty surrounding this election cycle can be a source of worry for many, particularly given the concurrent ongoing pandemic,” the representative stated. “Our intention during CNN’s Key Race Alerts was to offer viewers a moment of tranquility and a gentle reminder to practice deep breathing during a stressful evening,” they continued.

However, the company refrained from confirming the estimates provided by third parties.

In general, Calm’s CNN ad campaign proved successful because it playfully acknowledged the widespread stress experienced this week as election results became available—and especially due to the distinctive “Key Race Alert” music used by CNN to announce significant updates.

In simple terms, the majority of viewers found Calm’s advertisement to be humorous.

https://twitter.com/jbillinson/status/1323782167453982725

Beyond its advertisements on CNN, Calm also introduced an updated resource center featuring complimentary mindfulness tools, including Sleep Stories, meditations, music, and other mindfulness resources, in anticipation of the elections.

Furthermore, immediately before November 3, the company collaborated with the mobile news organization NowThis to create a calming live stream that was broadcast on NowThis’ Facebook and YouTube channels from November 3 through November 4.

In addition to its CNN sponsorship, Calm actively sought to leverage the increased television viewership surrounding the election to draw attention to its resources for reducing anxiety.

According to data from iSpot.tv, as reported by AdAge, Calm’s application accumulated 66 million total impressions from October 31 through November 3, with 11 million occurring on Election Day alone. Over the past 30 days, Calm has received 241.7 million TV ad impressions, representing a value of $1.4 million.

The report indicates that, in addition to CNN, the company aired Election Day advertisements on MSNBC, E!, HGTV, IFC, Freeform, the Discovery Family Channel, and the Discovery Life Channel.