In the competitive arena of digital wellness, one app transformed anxiety into a powerful marketing weapon.

Calm’s master class in turning moments of collective tension to feed their growth engine is worth mentioning and learning from.

The mental health app market has been overcrowded, noisy, and desperately competing for user attention — it hasn’t been pretty.

Instead of getting the megaphone out, Calm quietly transformed their emotional intelligence into a competitive advantage by:

• Inserting themselves in key cultural moments

• Using interactive content to gamify relaxation

• Building relationships with influencers

They really engineered a new approach to connecting with users at their most vulnerable moments without being weird.

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ADVERTISING STRATEGY
Inserting Themselves In Key Moments

Calm identified a critical market inefficiency: during moments of collective anxiety, attention becomes both highly concentrated and emotionally charged—creating perfect conditions for differentiated messaging.

For instance, during the 2024 election night, they aired 30-second ads on CNN, ABC, and Comedy Central featuring silent, calming visuals.

This approach provided viewers with a moment of respite amidst the election coverage, demonstrating a keen understanding of the audience's emotional state and delivering relevant content.

The Blueprint

1. Silent TV Ad → Calm purchased 30-second ad blocks on major news channels like CNN, ABC, and Comedy Central, airing on election night.
   

2. Ad Content → The ad featured a simple blue screen with the message: "We bought this ad space to give you 30 seconds of silence. Yep, just silence.” Minimal and landing the message when the world is watching.
   

3. Push Notifications →  Sent calming alerts during the June presidential debate, reminding users to take deep breaths and stay hydrated.
   

4. Instagram Live → They also created a "calming corner" on Instagram, streaming soothing footage of wildlife from the San Diego Zoo.

The Impact

Calm's silent ad effectively resonated with viewers, increased brand visibility, and drove engagement, making it a standout marketing success during a highly charged event.

• Jumped over 100 spots in the App Store rankings following the ad, indicating a significant surge in downloads and interest in the app

• Saw a big jump in downloads, with approximately 35,000 downloads, up from its usual 26,000 daily downloads the week before.

DISPLAY ADVERTISING
Playable Ads To Drive Acquisition

Calm aimed to grow its user base and scale further by partnering with ironSource in 2020. They gamified relaxation and hooked new users by creating interactive and playable ads.

The paint-mixing playable ad is a prime example of Calm's interactive ad strategy.

This ad transformed relaxation into an engaging, interactive experience that aligned with Calm's core concept while appealing to new users

The Blueprint

1. The format → The ad was designed as a playable, interactive experience rather than a traditional static or video ad.

2. How it appealed →  Users could actively engage with the ad by mixing paint on their device screens, simulating a calming, meditative activity.

3. Call to Action →  After the interactive experience, the ad presumably prompted users to download the Calm app to explore more relaxation techniques.

The ad was implemented in partnership using ironSource’s playable ad technology, which allowed Calm to create app-like experiences within the ad units. Makes a lot of sense when an app is trying to capture users across various mobile devices and platforms.

The Impact

This campaign led to a 106% increase in installs, highlighting the effectiveness of interactive content in driving user acquisition.

INFLUENCER ADS
Connecting with Younger Audiences Authentically

Calm recognized the potential of influencer marketing to authentically connect with Gen Z and Millennial demographics, who are increasingly open to mental health solutions. They aimed to leverage social media personalities to expand their reach and drive app installations

The Blueprint

1. Calm collaborated with Liftoff Influence, gaining access to a network of over 6,000 influencers.

2. They implemented a cost-per-install pricing structure, allowing for better tracking and optimization of campaigns

3. Worked with influencers to produce over 20 custom ads tailored to their audience. Sidenote: Understanding the importance of creative variation and also building a bank of creative assets that they can re-use through paid social ads.

4. They chose influencers who aligned with their brand values and could reach their desired audience effectively.

The Impact

• Calm achieved over 50% increase in influencer marketing ROI through their partnership with Liftoff Influence

• Saved more than 25 hours per week on campaign management

• YouTube now generates over 50% of Calm's organic social traffic

• Calm became the top-grossing app in the Health & Fitness category

WRAP UP
Bringing This Home…

The ones that figure out how to tap into what people are feeling will tie it back to their brand, getting an unfair advantage by capturing attention.

Calm is a good example of this.

With attention getting harder and more expensive to capture, growth will come down to one thing: your ability to create real connections between what’s happening in culture and what you sell.

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