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Jennifer JC Wayman, MHS and Sarah Temple. Health & Medical Practice, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, 1901 L Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036, 202-452-9420, jennifer.wayman@ogilvypr.com
Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States. However, many women don’t realize they are at risk, even when they know they have risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. In response, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) sponsored The Heart Truth, a national campaign utilizing social marketing principles to build awareness of heart disease among women ages 40-60 and encourage these women to take steps to lower their risk. Based on extensive formative research and message testing with this audience, The Heart Truth campaign created and launched the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease, symbolizing the message, “heart disease doesn’t care what you wear.” The campaign employs public service advertising to raise awareness, supported by numerous educational materials distributed in community settings through a diverse network of national and grassroots partner organizations. The campaign forged a groundbreaking partnership with the fashion industry to launch the Red Dress through a collection of red dresses from leading fashion designers, a Red Dress pin, and numerous promotional activities. The campaign recruited a number of partners, including Johnson & Johnson, RadioShack, Albertsons, Revlon, Glamour magazine, and TimeInc. Women’s Group to reinforce the campaign’s messages through a variety of channels. NHLBI and its partners brought the initiative to local communities with a visual display of the dresses coupled with heart disease education and screening events for women. The partnership planning, strategy and implementation will be presented.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Heart Disease, Women's Health
Related Web page: www.hearttruth.gov
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.