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For many initiatives, success is due in part to the effectiveness of corporate partnerships developed to support various aspects of a campaign. How many of you have noticed The Heart TruthRed Dress symbol on the Diet Coke can, or on a box of Cheerio’s at the grocery store? The Heart Truthcampaign, a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) initiative supported by Ogilvy, is a great example of how a successful partnership can help market an issue and spread visibility exponentially.

On behalf of NHLBI, Ogilvy facilitates the overall development of the campaign and has fostered more than 30 formal corporate partnership including relationships with Diet Coke, IMG Fashion, General Mills, Celestial Seasonings, and Playtex. Partners specialize in everything from beverages and accessories to sewing machines and medical supplies. Ogilvy strives to create unique partnership opportunities and programming with each partner to help further the goals of the campaign.

Heidi Klum Designs a Red Dress charm in partnership with Diet Coke and The Heart Truth Campaign

To ensure that these sponsors, as well as other corporate partners, leverage their involvement with the campaign and maximize exposure for both parties, the campaign provides partnership guidelines to partners outlining NHLBI’s standards and requirements for partnership. Partnership development begins with the initial brainstorming session: developing programmatic ideas and providing campaign resources, and discussing the brand’s activation of the partnership. Our goal is to provide these tools to make it easier for corporate partners to work with the campaign, but not to limit the creativity or scope of the partner’s programs. As a result we have come to see the successful creation of Red Dress programs such as Diet Coke’s and dozens of other programs:

EXAMPLE: DIET COKE

Diet Coke utilized the campaign’s Red Dress symbol to create a program that not only promotes The Heart Truth, but also highlights Diet Coke’s commitment to wellness, style, and good taste.

Extensions of this partnership in 2009 resulted in:
• Placement of the Red Dress logo on 6.7 billion packages.
• Airing of the Diet Coke Style Series on the Reuter’s jumbotron in Times Square and online at www.dietcoke.com.
• Creation of integrated advertising across broadcast, print, and digital channels
• Promotion of digital extensions such as Diet Coke/Heart Truth badges at www.dietcoke.com.
• Creation of the Diet Coke Red Dress Charm Sweepstakes with proceeds to support women’s heart health awareness and education.
• Activation with campaign partners General Mills and Johnson & Johnson at such stores as Target, Publix, Albertsons, Kroger, SuperValu, Safeway, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and others.
• Co-sponsorship of The Heart Truth Road Shows with General Mills in five cities this spring.
• Displaying Red Dresses at the Atlanta World of Coke museum through March 2009.

Diet Coke Packaging in Support of The Heart Truth Campaign

Visit The Heart Truth Web page for more information about the campaign and a full list of corporate partners and programs.

Social Marketing Quarterly also recently featured The Heart Truth campaign in its Fall 2008 edition. The campaign is profiled in six original articles co-authored by members of The Heart Truth team and explores various aspects of the campaign. The articles cover everything from research and branding to social media marketing and partnerships. Also included is a peer reviewed article on the campaign from its inception to the work that continues today as well as the team’s top 10 insights into the campaign’s success.