The ripple effects from Elmo’s social media wellness check turned trauma-dump session continue to be felt. More than six months ago, the beloved Sesame Street character posted a simple tweet: “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” The post, which has more than 219 million views on the social media platform, generated a massive, unexpected response that cemented Elmo as a mental health ambassador.
However, this viral moment was not an isolated incident. In the spring of 2023, Sesame Workshop announced a collaborative, multiplatform initiative to promote mindfulness among kids. This effort featured a PSA campaign supporting The Ad Council, podcast episodes featuring Dr. Laurie Santos and The Happiness Lab, research-based behavioral health resources for parents and caregivers, as well as the return of the Goodnight, World! podcast with Headspace. The campaign also included Elmo’s Mindfulness Spectacular, a 45-minute special produced by Sesame Street and YouTube, which accrued more than 9.2 million views on the video platform.
In March, the Ad Council produced a pair of mental health PSAs with Sesame Workshop, both in English and Spanish, focusing on fostering strong emotional wellbeing within families and breaking the stigma around mental health. These ads are part of the Love, Your Mind campaign developed with the Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
Recently, Sesame Workshop collaborated with the Harris Poll on a nationwide mental health survey. The survey found that Americans equate mental health and education with economic stability. One-third of surveyed parents said their family’s well-being is negatively impacted by mental health issues, while more than 60% said their family is still experiencing negative effects from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey also revealed that there is a desire for more openness and education around mental health. Two-thirds of Americans indicated that they wished their parents had been more honest with them about their mental health struggles. Additionally, more than 80% of Gen Z and Millennials expressed a desire for more education on understanding and managing emotions as children.
The poll concluded that going forward, Americans want more kindness and resilience to improve well-being. More than 80% of respondents said it’s important for society to promote kindness and resilience, with those numbers increasing when the same question is asked about children.
For Sesame Workshop, this survey is yet another example of how Elmo’s unique status in pop culture can positively influence the evolving narrative around mental health in the country. Samantha Maltin, chief marketing and brand officer of Sesame Workshop, stated, “The tweet, and the campaign it spawned, reached over 300 million people, with more than 3 million heartfelt reactions pouring in. As Elmo’s viral moment and this new study indicate, the most pressing issue facing American families right now is mental health and emotional well-being.”
In conclusion, Elmo’s impact as a mental health ambassador continues to resonate across various platforms and initiatives. Through collaborations with organizations like The Ad Council and the Harris Poll, Sesame Workshop is actively working to promote mindfulness, break stigma, and foster emotional well-being in families. As the conversation around mental health evolves, Elmo remains a powerful symbol of kindness and resilience in popular culture.
