Stillwater: Mind, Music & Movement is a wonderful example of how entertainment can reach beyond simply ‘entertaining' to impact peoples lives in a positive way. Content doesn’t just entertain- it has the ability to inspire and change lives for the better if used properly.

Based on the Caldecott Honor book series “Zen Shorts” by Jon J Muth, the Apple TV+ original series “Stillwater” on Apple TV+ is produced by Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment and centers on siblings Karl, Addy and Michael, who are typical kids with typical kid challenges – meaning that sometimes even the smallest things can feel insurmountable. Fortunately for these three, they have Stillwater, a wise panda, as their next-door neighbor. Through his example, stories and gentle humor, Stillwater gives the children a deeper understanding of their feelings as well as tools that help them face their own day-to-day challenges. Stillwater also brings newfound fun and adventure for the three, opening their eyes to the quiet wonders of the world around them, and guiding them to their place within it.

Crafted with helping teachers and parents in mind, we set out to make an experience that was easily accessible, ‘edutaining’ as well as helpful for young kids going through a turmoil filled time. Utilizing clips and dialogue from our characters in the series and weaving in special guest stars throughout, we wanted to appeal to kids to help make the lofty concept of mindfulness attainable. With the participation of renowned mindfulness expert Mallika Chopra, Recording artist Kishi Bashi, Composer Toby Chu and Fitness Influencer Jessica Skye- we were able to uniquely craft an experience for kids that builds off the wider themes of the Stillwater series on Apple TV+.

Stillwater: Mind, Music & Movement is a custom 27-minute video that was created for families and educators in an unprecedented time period where kids were forced to learn virtually from home due to COVID-19. Using the new Apple TV+ pre-school series, Stillwater, mindfulness and meditation were introduced in a practical way to kids. "Stillwater: Mind, Music, and Movement" includes an introduction from Malika Chopra, "mindfulness moment" with Stillwater (Sie), interactive music session with Kishi Bashi and composer Toby Chu, and guided breathing and movement class with Apple Fitness+ Yoga Trainer Jessica Skye. Partnering with YouTube Kids, the content was released as a special two week feature for kids to access for free from home. The piece was placed with parenting media outlets like Romper for release, and amplified via talent and partner socials. The piece was also promoted within Apple’s Ecosystem of Apple Music and Apple Fitness+.

Stillwater: Mind, Music & Movement was released during the sustain window of our series campaign, building off a preschoolers love of their new favorite panda character. The experience featured four separately crafted parts that were woven together to make one seamless experience for kids learning virtually at home. The video was placed in YouTube Kids with special featuring ensuring our target demo using the YouTube Kids app would engage with the content. While the target audience for this content is very niche, we were able to expose many of them to the important themes of mindfulness in our new series in a unique and innovative way.

Despite no paid media support, the video generated press acclaim, garnered substantial views, taught kids an important new skill and helped Stillwater to become an anchor of the Apple Originals kids’ content slate on Apple TV+.