Bravo Tango Brain Training
National Geographic
Issue 46 | March 2018
Agency
360i New York
Creative Team
Creative Chief Creative Officer Menno Kluin Group Creative Directors Alex Shulhafer, Piper Hickman Associate Copywriter Kate Sheehan Associate Art Director Alyssa Pauker
Production Team
Production VP, Head of Integrated Production Colin Pearsall Executive Producer Lauren Dobkin Senior Producer Mark Altman Producer Margaret Barnard
Other Credits
Other SVP Group Account Director Deb Korono Account Director Cristina Benedetto Account Supervisor Samantha Kimmel Account Manager Katherine Matson VP Innovation Technology Layne Harris Senior Content Strategist and Interaction Designer Mike Mohammed Senior Strategist Kelly Bolick Lead User Experience Designer Christine Harrigan Associate Experience Architect Samson Desta VP, Head of Experience Design Chris Seda Experience Architect Lead Lenton Alston Technical Director Tony Landa Director of QA Paulie Srinuan PR and Communications Manager Kelsey Rohwer Project Manager Sabreen Jafry Development Partner XAPP Media Consulting Psychologist, Content Development Partner Mike Valdovinos National Geographic EVP Strategy + Consumer Marketing Dennis Camlek SVP Strategy + Consumer Marketing Kevin Bulmer Senior Director Consumer Marketing Katie Morrow Associate Marketing Manager Brandon Kessler
Date
November 2017
Background
For soldiers, coming home from war could often be more challenging than being deployed. Returning to 'normal' life was often overwhelming and simply unrealistic. Once home, vets could face unexpected feelings of stress, shame and denial. They weren't always able to get access to the mental health support that could help them cope.
When National Geographic started production on "The Long Road Home," a drama series based on the emotional impact of the Iraq war, both in the field and back at home, they were inspired to help address this challenge.
Idea
The result was "Bravo Tango Brain Training," a first-of-its-kind voice-powered app designed specifically for veterans.
Accessible on Google Home or any smartphone via Google Assistant, the app recognised over 40 different moods, including anger, loneliness, regret, sadness and fear. It then paired the user with appropriate meditation-style exercises developed by former Air Force psychologist Dr. Michael Valdovinos, whose meditation and mindfulness-based treatments had been proven to reduce stress and help veterans cope.
The launch of Bravo Tango Brain Training coincided with the series premiere of "The Long Road Home," just before Veterans Day in November 2017.
A targeted PR and paid social campaign ensured it got in front of veterans and their loved ones, putting resources and treatment methods at their fingertips. As Mashable summarised: "Veterans dealing with stress have a new option for self-care, and they don't need to leave the house to use it."
Results
Over 30 different print titles covered the launch with an estimated reach of over 1.6 billion and an estimated actual reach of 402 million. The app saw an average of 400 unique visits per day and users spent an average of 10 minutes on the app, indicating that they were trying more than one exercise. It complemented the launch of the mini-series "The Long Road Home," an intimate look at the effect of war on soldiers and their families, one of National Geographic's highest-rated scripted series premieres in 2017.
Our Thoughts
There has been a flurry of experimentation with chatbots in the last year. There are bots to get children brushing their teeth, bots to guide women through skincare routines and bots to talk you through what to cook for supper.
Brands are beginning to have to think quite literally about their "tone of voice".
Meanwhile, creative geeks have been quick to spot the opportunities bots offer to do good. There's a bot to help insomniacs get through the darkest hours, a bot to help people with dementia continue to communicate and a bot to help you make medical diagnoses. And now this inspirational free bot from National Geographic.
It demonstrates how voice technology may be able to help people in every aspect of their lives. Exciting times ahead.