Sesame Workshop, the global impact nonprofit recognized for Sesame Street, is shedding light on the emotional benefits of humming for individuals’ overall well-being through a new video featuring Elmo and friends.
In collaboration with the Ad Council and developed alongside Huntsman Mental Health Institute, the “Love, Your Mind” campaign, depicted in a public service announcement (PSA), showcases characters from the beloved children’s show humming together to a tune.
Elmo shares that when he feels frustrated, humming a song helps uplift his spirits. He emphasizes the universality of emotions and underscores the importance of mutual support among individuals.
The second video PSA is slated for release in May 2024, accompanied by a comprehensive array of additional resources from Sesame Workshop to assist families during Mental Health Awareness Month.
Sesame Workshop’s approach to emotional well-being encompasses strategies aimed at supporting all families, including equipping children with essential skills to comprehend and manage their emotions, as demonstrated by Elmo through humming in the new PSA video. The organization highlights nurturing relationships as a crucial element in fostering children’s emotional well-being, as stated in a release.
The “Love, Your Mind” campaign shares a common objective of fostering a more open, accepting, and proactive societal attitude towards mental health.
Samantha Maltin, EVP and Chief Marketing and Brand Officer at Sesame Workshop, notes, “The growing mental health crisis is one of the most pressing issues for parents today, and children’s needs can often be overlooked. We recognize that caring for a child entails supporting their entire circle of care, be it parents, teachers, or other caregivers. We appreciate our collaboration with the Ad Council and the ‘Love, Your Mind’ campaign, through which we can extend these emotional well-being resources to even more children and caregivers.”
Heidi Arthur, Chief Campaign Development Officer at the Ad Council, echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the collective responsibility in supporting and destigmatizing mental health, with parents and caregivers playing a pivotal role in this equation.
“On behalf of Huntsman Mental Health Institute and the Ad Council, we are thrilled to partner with Sesame Workshop to foster more dialogue about mental health and offer resources to support the entire family,” she adds.
The release of the PSA video follows a social media post by Elmo on the platform X, where he inquired about users’ well-being. The post quickly gained traction, amassing 191.4 million views, with 16,000 individuals responding to Elmo, sharing their candid struggles ranging from job loss to mental health challenges and more.
Brands such as Domino’s Pizza and OREO, Ritz Crackers, and Adobe Photoshop capitalized on the post’s virality with witty responses, while others like the mental well-being app Calm offered supportive messages encouraging Elmo to take deep breaths. Suicide and crisis lifelines also provided resources to aid those in need.
Even US President Joe Biden engaged with the post, reposting it and affirming, “I know how hard it is some days to sweep the clouds away and get to sunnier days. Our friend Elmo is right: We have to be there for each other, offer our help to a neighbor in need, and above all else, ask for help when we need it.”
