BRAND IDENTITY SYSTEM
life is why brand story We believe everyone deserves to live a healthier, longer life. There are moments in life we wish we could freeze in time. We live them. We live for them. They are intimately personal; they are gladly shared. What is life if we cannot experience these moments of joy, wonder and happiness? We want people to experience more of life s precious moments. To do that, we must be healthy in heart and mind. For the heart is where life s moments are felt most. And the mind is where these moments become memories, and are relived again and again. It s why we ve made better heart and brain health our mission. And together with our volunteers and partners, we ve made an extraordinary impact Healthier adults. More active children. Stronger survivors. But we are just beginning. Until there s a world free of heart disease and stroke, we ll be there, making a healthier, longer life possible for everyone. You may ask why we do what we do. The answer is simple. Because we are the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. And life, life is why. American Heart Association/American Stroke Association dual logo with new tagline brand position life is why branding statement & tagline
Life Is Why perfectly embodies our organization s Guiding Values, which are the basic beliefs we aim to include in all of our organizational decision-making. Here is a look at our eight Guiding Values: Improving and Extending People s Lives Bringing Science to Life Speaking with a Trustworthy Voice Building Powerful Partnerships Inspiring Passionate Commitment Meeting People Where They Are Making an Extraordinary Impact Ensuring Equitable Health for All life is why Life Is Why also meshes perfectly with our new Strategic Plan s emphasis on creating a culture of health. Create a culture of health where the healthy choice is the default choice. brand position support guiding values & health impact
BRAND EXPERIENCE
Why we do what we do? Life. Life is why. We believe everyone deserves to live a healthier, longer life. This statement defines what we are about, what our priorities are. We are putting a stake in the ground and telling all that we are committed to helping people live life fuller, healthier and longer and have the proof points (Extraordinary Impact) to show it. General Messaging General Branding Messaging Guide When developing general messages always keep in mind, Life is Why. Below are just a few approaches to opening and closing content: Life is why [American Heart Association & American Stroke Association program] encourages/enables you to make a change/get involved. Your efforts can change how heart and brain health affects your life and the life of your loved ones. It s your life and life is why. Life is why [advocates/volunteers] like you have worked with the [American Heart Association & American Stroke Association program] to pave the way for today s lifesaving medical innovations such as pacemakers, CPR and coronary bypass surgery. Extraordinary Impact Messaging Life is Why is the driver behind all our efforts to make an extraordinary impact. Here is an approach you can use as a guide to meld Life is Why messaging with an extraordinary impact statement. HEADLINE CONSTRUCT EXAMPLE Life is why [insert effort and the extraordinary impact it resulted in]. Life is why we fund groundbreaking research, which has resulted in reducing cardiovascular disease mortality by 69% since 1968. Personal Life is Why Everyone has a reason to live a healthier, longer life. What is yours? Helping people experience more of life s precious moments is why we do what we do. So when developing brand messaging, think of those life moments we help people experience by promoting heart and brain health. They can be a big, shared milestone or intimate, personal moments. This campaign is a great opportunity to personalize the brand. It s easy to do. Ask yourself this: What are those moments, people or experiences that you live for? Maybe it s walking your daughter down the aisle. Or simply giving your grandchild a big hug. Think of what or who motivates you to live healthy and express it. It can even be a personal reason for why you do what you do for American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. HEADLINE CONSTRUCT EXAMPLE [Insert moment, person or experience] is why. Helping stroke survivors thrive is why. My family is why. brand experience voice storytelling & usage
Four key characteristics checklist when concepting. SIMPLE Our message is always simple and to the point. SIMPLE HEADLINE POSITIVE & EMOTIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY POSITIVE We motivate, engage and enable people to build sustainable culture of health. EMOTIONAL We help people experience more of life s precious moments. PERSONAL What s your why? Our communications should quickly establish a meaningful connection. PERSONAL MESSAGE brand experience visual characteristics & usage
Photography should encompass one or more of the brand characteristic. Photos should relate to family and friends, as it creates a personal connection. SIMPLE POSITIVE EMOTIONAL PERSONAL brand experience visual photography
OUR SIGNATURE
Meaning of heart & torch. ETERNAL FLAME Life it shines with eternal hope and optimism, illuminating the darkness of the unknown. TORCH Knowledge life-sustaining, knowledge is shared and passed on from person to person, from one generation to the next. It is how others understand how to live a healthier, fuller, longer life. HEART & TORCH The heart, the torch, all support the eternal flame of life. Individually the elements are strong. Together, as one symbol, it is powerful enough to change the world for the better. Love, knowledge, sharing these all come together to help make life, and all its precious moments, possible. HEART Love. Caring. Compassion. These are all core elements to the life experience. Without the heart, all that makes us human, and life itself, would not be possible. our signature logo blueprint
Logo & tagline The tagline may be used as a headline in certain instances, including print or Web applications, such as brochure covers or social media graphics. life is why The tagline, life is why, must be italic in body copy and accompanied by TM at first use. our signature logo & tagline use of tagline & typesetting tagline
Spanish and Chinese logos When appropriate, please use logos above. our signature logo & tagline use of tagline & typesetting tagline
The and denotes that the signature is a registered mark owned by the American Heart Association. PRINT WEB 100 pixels PRIMARY LOGO HORIZONTAL CROP VERTICAL CROP 50% minimum SECONDARY LOGO HEART & TORCH LOGO 60% minimum PRINT WEB PRINT WEB 50 pixels 80 pixels our signature logo variations clear space & minimum size
Listed are the preferred color variations in which all our logos can be produced. Approved versions can be downloaded at heart.org/branding 2 COLOR 1 COLOR 2 COLOR OVER BLACK/IMAGE Never recreate, deconstruct or graphically alter any mark in any way, including but not limited to the following: LITTLE OR NO CONTRAST PATTERN WHICH INTERFERES WITH LEGIBILITY USE OF COLOR (OTHER THAN RED, BLACK, WHITE OR GREY) USE OF SPECIAL EFFECTS* ROTATE OR SKEW PLACING OVER PHOTO WHICH INTERFERES WITH LEGIBILITY SEPARATE COMPONENTS USE ANY OUTDATED LOGOS *Drop shadows & outer glows may be used only for accessibility. Contact patty.calderon@heart.org for approval or questions. our signature logo variations use of logo & unacceptable use
BRAND STYLE GUIDE
Helvetica Neue family is the preferred brand typeface. HELVETICA NEUE LIGHT Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. HELVETICA NEUE MEDIUM CONDENSED Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. HELVETICA NEUE BOLD CONDENSED Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Body copy should be no smaller than 9pts with 10pts leading. Do not use Helvetica bold & black fonts or Times bold fonts. Preferred body copy examples below.: TIMES ROMAN HELVETICA NEUE THIN HELVETICA NEUE CONDENSED HELVETICA NEUE ROMAN Remember our promise: The American Heart Association has an extraordinary impact on your life by empowering you & your loved ones to save lives, live healthier & enjoy more peace of mind about cardiovascular health. Remember our promise: The American Heart Association has an extraordinary impact on your life by empowering you & your loved ones to save lives, live healthier & enjoy more peace of mind about cardiovascular health. Remember our promise: The American Heart Association has an extraordinary impact on your life by empowering you & your loved ones to save lives, live healthier & enjoy more peace of mind about cardiovascular health. Remember our promise: The American Heart Association has an extraordinary impact on your life by empowering you & your loved ones to save lives, live healthier & enjoy more peace of mind about cardiovascular health. Call to action should always be bold and no smaller than 11pts with 12pts leading. Preferred call to action examples below: TIMES BOLD HELVETICA NEUE BOLD CONDENSED HELVETICA NEUE BOLD Visit heart.org/simplecooking for more tips on healthy eating, cooking and recipes. Visit heart.org/simplecooking for more tips on healthy eating, cooking and recipes. Visit heart.org/simplecooking for more tips on healthy eating, cooking and recipes. brand style guide typeface typeface & usage
Brand Red is Pantone 485 should be most prominent. DOMINANT COLOR PALETTE BRAND RED/ PANTONE 485 Because life is vibrant, we ve expanded our colors. SECONDARY COLOR PALETTE PANTONE 144 PANTONE 376 PANTONE 2593 PANTONE 631 PANTONE 2727 NEUTRAL PALETTE PANTONE COOL GRAY 10 PANTONE 465 brand style guide color palette primary & secondary colors