National Geographic and 360i Launch First-Ever Voice Powered Meditation App, Designed Specifically for Veterans

Inspired by Nat Geo’s Scripted Drama “The Long Road Home,” the New
App – called Bravo Tango Brain Training – Will be Available on
Smart Phones and Google Home Devices Beginning Today, November 9
th
to Commemorate Veterans Day

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ahead of Veteran’s Day, National Geographic, in a partnership with 360i,
has released Bravo Tango Brain Training, the first-ever voice
activated meditation app designed specifically for veterans, with the
aim of providing another tool in the effort to enhance mental health
support for America’s veteran community. The meditation app will be
available for free on smartphones via the Google Assistant app and
Google Home Devices beginning today, November 9th. To begin,
say “Ok Google, talk to Bravo Tango.”


Bravo Tango Brain Training was developed in partnership with
former Air Force Psychologist and combat veteran Dr. Michael Valdovinos
who specializes in military and veteran psychological health and has
vast experience working with transitioning and reintegrating service
members. Working together, National Geographic, their agency partner
360i, Dr. Valdovinos and app developer Xapp created a voice-powered app
that will give veterans easy access to one of the most effective methods
for reducing stress and maintaining healthy coping practices- meditation
and mindfulness.

“Many veterans are hesitant to try meditation and mindfulness because of
societal stereotypes it carries in our community. In my practice,
however, I’ve found meditation, mindfulness and voice therapy to be
highly effective in reducing stress, refining focus and raising
optimism. Bravo Tango Brain Training is a bridge to seeking help
and brings a unique approach directly to the veteran community where we
feel safest: our homes,” says Dr. Valdovinos.

The approach used in the app is supported by numerous studies, including
those published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, Military
Medicine
and the Journal of Clinical Psychology that have
found breathing-based meditation intervention to result in reduced
stress, anxiety, feelings of depression and slowed respiration rates. In
one case, 90% of veteran participants completed the study, suggesting
high acceptability of meditation practices.

In producing their scripted series, The
Long Road Home
, based on Martha Raddatz’s New York Times
best-selling book that chronicles the lives of service members and their
families through deployment and post-deployment, National Geographic
gained deep insights into the home life of veterans, ultimately
realizing there was an opportunity to expand the impact of their
stories. Inspired by the real-life veterans portrayed in the series,
National Geographic along with 360i wanted to go a step further and do
something to not only enhance mental health support for veterans and
reduce barriers to seeking treatment but also bring renewed attention to
important veterans’ issues. As part of launching the series, the network
has also partnered with numerous veteran’s organizations including the
Bob Woodruff Foundation, Team Rubicon, Blue Star Families, The Mission
Continues,Veterans of Foreign Wars, Global War on Terror Memorial
Foundation, and the USO.

“We were so inspired by the real-life stories which The Long Road Home
series was based on, and we wanted to expand our support with something
tangible, useful and needed for the veteran community,” says Courteney
Monroe, CEO, National Geographic Global Networks. “As we began to
explore the veteran support space with 360i, it became apparent that
many of the current wellness app options for veterans do not address
their specific needs. Technological advances often leave veterans
behind, and we hope we can do some good by providing this simple, but
powerful technology.”

It was an incredible privilege to be a part of The Long
Road Home 
project. In seeing it come to life, I again gained
new insight into the daily struggles veterans so often face,” says
Martha Raddatz, “It means a lot to me that National Geographic is taking
their support of this community one step further and providing easier
access to the help they seek.”

Many from the veteran community have endorsed Bravo Tango Brain
Training
, including former Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter who
says, “For many veterans, returning home is the toughest battle they
face. Supporting their mental health requires an all-hands effort. I
commend Bravo Tango for leveraging innovative technology to make
practical and comforting wellness steps more accessible to our men and
women in uniform.”

Bravo Tango Brain Training is free and now available on all smart
phones and voice-powered devices with Google Assistant. To use, open the
Google Assistant app, and say “Ok Google, talk to Bravo Tango.” The
program will then guide the user to an appropriate exercise based on how
they’re feeling. Bravo Tango recognizes over 40 moods, including anger,
loneliness, anxiety, disappointment, regret, sadness, fatigue, fear and
insomnia. Exercises range from breathing, and focus, to grounding and
visualization, even interpersonal connection and muscle relaxation.
While Bravo Tango Brain Training is an effective and accessible
method for reducing stress and anxiety, it should not be used as a
replacement for ongoing professional care. For more information, please
reference the Terms & Conditions.

Click
here for the official Bravo Tango press kit
, including photos and
video assets.

About “The Long Road Home”

No soldier fights alone. Based on the New York Times best-selling book
by internationally acclaimed journalist Martha Raddatz, The Long Road
Home
tells the story of “Black Sunday,” when a small platoon of
soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division was ferociously ambushed in Sadr
City, Baghdad, in April 2004. Eight Americans would make the ultimate
sacrifice that day, and more than 65 would be seriously wounded.

The global miniseries event airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on National Geographic
and offers viewers a gripping and intimate look at the toll war takes on
soldiers and their families. The adrenaline-fueled and deeply emotional
journey follows the action on two fronts: the chaotic and terror-filled
streets of Sadr City and the home front at Fort Hood, where family
members desperately await news of their loved ones. The Long
Road Home
ensemble cast includes Michael Kelly, Jason Ritter, Kate
Bosworth, Sarah Wayne Callies, Noel Fisher and Jeremy Sisto.

About National Geographic Partners LLC

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National
Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world
premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled
portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic
television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo
MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and
consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines;
National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms;
books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include
travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and
e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our
world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years,
and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going
further for our consumers … and reaching over 730 million people around
the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP
returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic
Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation
and education. For more information visit natgeowild.com or
nationalgeographic.com, or find us on FacebookTwitterInstagramGoogle+YouTubeLinkedIn and Pinterest.

About 360i

360i is an award-winning agency that helps brands capitalize on change.
As a highly strategic creative and media partner with a deep
understanding of how people discover brands and share stories, we don’t
just react to changes in the marketplace – we predict and define them.
By bringing together some of the smartest, most curious people with
expertise in data, creativity, media, strategy, search, and social, we
help our clients achieve their objectives and drive their business
forward. And our hustle doesn’t go unnoticed. We’ve been recognized in
Advertising Age’s Agency A-List issue seven years in a row, named one of
Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and ranked amongst the best
Lead Agencies and Search Agencies by Forrester Research. That’s some
range. We work with brands including HBO, National Geographic, DSW,
Mondelez and Capital One. To learn more about us, visit www.360i.com.

Contacts

360i
Kelsey Rohwer
PR and Communications Manager
kelsey.rohwer@360i.com
or
National
Geographic
Jennifer DeGuzman
VP, Communications &
Talent Relations
jennifer.deguzman@natgeo.com

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