Mental fitness service Calm is being praised for a 30-second spot that ran on several channels during their Election Night coverage, but had very little to do with politics.
The spot, called “Ad Space of Silence,” featured just that — 30 seconds of total silence, which the company said was intended to give viewers of Election Night coverage a mental pause.
The spot ran on a number of channels, including CNN, ABC News and Comedy Central, during their Election Night specials. It wasn’t clear how much Calm spent on ad inventory, but it proved to be highly effective, with viewers and advertising strategists praising the spot for showing decorum and humanity during what was otherwise a hectic night.
WATCH & LISTEN: the Calm app bought a 30 second advertisement during political coverage. 🤫🔇🔕 pic.twitter.com/IYnHGN5cDq
— Gary Mark⚡️Blue Sky Kites 𝕏 🈴 (@blueskykites) November 6, 2024
“We know Election Day (and week) comes with a lot of noise — from breaking news alerts to election results and political ads,” a spokesperson for Calm said in a statement. “We wanted to meet people where they were with a real-time moment of calm, delivered through an unexpected 15 to 30-second silent ad break between the updates and alerts.”
In an interview with trade publication Business Insider, Wharton School marketing professor Americus Reed said the spot was highly effective because it met consumers at the right time with the right message.
“It’s a very good idea to step in at a moment where solving a problem with Calm’s value proposition will resonate with a large amount of the country,” Reed said.
Will Poskett, the founder of strategy firm Defiant, told Adweek that the spot made Calm “the most culturally-relevant brand of the election,” while Sol Marketing founder and CEO Deb Gabor said it “showed regard for humanity” during what was otherwise a contentious election cycle.
News viewers responded accordingly.
“The Calm app buying 30 seconds of ad space tonight for silence is the best thing that’s happened tonight,” Tennessee resident Anthony Heggie wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Kathleen Lucente, the founder of Texas-based Red Fan Communications, said the Calm app commercial gave her “30 seconds of peace,” indicating that the overall objective of the spot was met.
