Vol 51. Headspace x Sesame Street: Education via meditation 🐣

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Every child is different. But if given the option, most would not opt in to bedtime. Instead, they’d probably just keep playing until they passed out mid-activity, toy still in hand, day clothes still on. 

Bedtime can be met with all kinds of resistance from the little ones. That means many parents are open and keen to explore tools that can smooth out the process.

This week, Case Studied explores how Headspace and Sesame Street created educational tools for kids that received 100% positive sentiment.

The Brief:

In the spirit of mindfulness and meditation, close your eyes and think back to June 2021. There was… a lot going on. The COVID-19 pandemic was wreaking havoc, there was fallout from the U.S. election, plus a whole slew of other stress-inducing events. 

But with all that stress, conversations about wellbeing and mindfulness increased as well. Many of these dialogues revolved around adults—if kids were discussed, it was usually framed around mindful parenting. But what if there was a way to speak directly to children about these topics?

This presented a major opportunity for Headspace and Sesame Street co-branding. As a global meditation and mindfulness app, Headspace could reach a whole new demographic. As a leader in early childhood education and social-emotional learning, Sesame Street could expand its reach onto a new platform. And both brands could use their platforms in a way that aligns with their missions and demographics. 

The Execution:

Once the co-branding collaboration was set, Sesame Street and Headspace executed their partnership in three ways: 

📽️Video shorts: The two brands developed a six-part series of animated shorts called Monster Meditations. Each one was roughly three minutes long, featuring animated versions of the Sesame Street Muppets as they deal with different feelings: frustration, impatience, excitement. Each video features Headspace co-founder and former Buddhist Monk, Andy Puddicombe, who guides the Muppets through different breathing exercises, sensory activities, and mindfulness techniques to manage the feelings. Some titles include “Getting Ready for Bed With Elmo” and “Being Patient With Cookie Monster.”

🎧 Podcast: Headspace is known for their sleep-focused podcasts (aka sleepcasts). And after seeing the success from the shorts, they adapted the same idea for this medium. The “Goodnight World” podcast was made to help create the right conditions for healthy, restful sleep for the little ones. It’s hosted by Alan Muraoka, the owner of Hooper’s Store on Sesame Street, and features wind-down exercises for kids, stories, and soothing music/soundscapes. 

📚 Books: Headspace and Sesame Street partnered with Penguin Random House to launch “Monster Meditation”, a six-book series. Each book is modeled after the Monster Meditation shorts—they’ve got the same characters, themes, and plots that help children learn the fundamentals of mindfulness, meditation, and social-emotional learning. Headspace Vice President of Content Morgan Selzer said the books were a “natural next step” following the video shorts. 

Ed Wells, Sesame Workshop’s EVP and head of global media and education, said “Educating kids is about more than ABCs and 123s—it’s also about building foundational social-emotional skills they’ll carry with them for life. That’s why we’re thrilled to work with an industry leader like Headspace to support kids’ mental and emotional wellbeing as they learn and grow!”

The Results:

The content from this co-branding was a hit with kids, media, caregivers, you name it. It received 100% positive sentiment and the series secured 225 media placements nationally. 

The video short, “Goodnight Body with Elmo” racked up over 19 million views and was the third most viewed video on Sesame Street’s YouTube channel. Across the board, the video shorts have been viewed over 30 million times (and counting).

The Takeaways:

This campaign might seem like an obvious layup. But there’s still some intentional, valuable lessons to be learned from it:

1. Tailor Content to Address Specific Audience Challenges:

The Headspace and Sesame Street collaboration succeeded by creating tailored content that addressed emotional management in an accessible way, with formats that resonated well with the target audience, in this case parents and their children. This approach met the audience where they were—at the intersection of daily challenges and moments when they needed calming support.

Your team can apply this by identifying key challenges or pain points of your target audience by designing content that directly addresses these needs in relatable, easily consumable formats. By creating thoughtful, purpose-driven content, brands can position themselves as supportive, understanding partners in their audience’s journey.

2. Use Co-Branding to Expand Reach and Influence:

Headspace and Sesame Street leveraged their combined reputations to expand into new audiences, merging Sesame Street’s educational expertise with Headspace’s mindfulness tools. This partnership allowed each brand to connect with audiences that may not have otherwise engaged with them, broadening their influence and reach.

Look for strategic partnerships with organizations that share complementary missions but ideally different customer bases, allowing you to tap into new markets and expand influence. A carefully chosen partner can help brands bring added value, authority, and diversity to their content, opening doors to untapped demographics.

3. Diversify Content Formats to Increase Engagement:

By offering video shorts, podcasts, and books, Headspace and Sesame Street met their audience across multiple formats, driving deeper engagement. This multimodal approach allowed them to reinforce their message and reach audiences in different contexts, from bedtime routines to story time.

Brands can enhance engagement by repurposing content into various formats that suit different audience preferences and scenarios. This approach not only broadens the reach of the content but also reinforces its impact, encouraging repeated interaction with the brand across platforms and activities.

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