Washington State Department of Health
Chronic Disease Prevention Unit
Energize Your Life
COMMUNICATION PLAN
Program Description
The Department of Health would like to adopt a logo
and slogan to “brand” and bring awareness to
statewide nutrition and physical activity messages
that are intended for the general public, including
state employees. “Energize Your Life” works well
as primary broad messaging for the department’s
nutrition and physical activity initiatives. “Energize
Your Life” will be used as the main theme for
consumer information products, such as materials
produced by Basic Food Nutrition Education
Program, 5 a Day program, and employee wellness
initiatives at the Department of Health.
Background
Awareness campaigns contribute to the success of environmental and policy changes,
which are the basis of the Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan.
“Energize Your Life! Eat Healthy-Be Active” is a slogan that was designed as an
awareness and outreach campaign targeting people who are most at risk of becoming
obese or who are obese. The slogan and logo have been tested with low-income
families in Washington, and have received positive responses through follow-up surveys.
“Energize Your Life! Eat Healthy-Be Active” was initially developed as a slogan to be
used on outreach materials produced by the Nutrition Education Network of Washington.
The network is a public-private partnership that includes Washington State UniversityExtension, Washington State Department of Health, Department of Social and Health
Services, Association of Washington Cities, Superintendent of Public Instruction,
Washington State Dairy Council, Washington Food Coalition, Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center, and Washington Department of Community, Trade and Economic
Development. Messages were created by an advanced marketing class at Washington
State University and were tested in focus groups of children and parents throughout the
state.
The logo was designed by Jay Ray, a Tacoma-based advertising and communication
strategy agency. The slogan and logo are currently used by WIC, BFNEP, and
Washington State University in health promotion materials and programs statewide.
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Awareness Campaign Elements
All of the elements of this campaign are intended to heighten awareness and support
nutrition and physical activity initiatives of local health jurisdictions and statewide
partners. Limited funding is available for this campaign. Therefore it will be introduced in
phases, as funds become available. Ideal design elements will 1) be colorful, 2) be
easily understood, 3) support, rather than compete with, other nutrition and physical
activity messages such as 5 a Day or 30-10-5.
Farmers’ Market project: Basic Food Nutrition Education Program and the WIC
Program are partnering on a farmers’ market project beginning in 2006. The purpose of
the project is to create a nutrition intervention for WIC/BFNEP contractors that will
address the need for increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. As part of this, we
hope to increase collaboration with farmers’ market associations. The Department of
Health will introduce a new “wrapped car” and “Energize” box at the opening of the
Tumwater Town Center Farmers’ Market on June 21, 2006.
Car wrap: One way to reinforce colorful reminders to eat healthy foods and be more
active is through outdoor advertising, such as billboards and bus advertising. An unused
place for outdoor advertising is a state vehicle, which is in constant use, traveling
frequently in Thurston County and occasionally to other parts of the state. This car will
be wrapped with colorful graphics and feature the “Energize Your Life” logo and slogan.
(Note: Photos of car wraps are included at the end of this plan.) A majority of state
employees live and work in Thurston County and would, therefore, frequently see the
visual messages on the car. The “wrapped” car would also draw attention to events that
BFNEP or WIC sponsors or visits.
Outdoor advertising reaches a broad spectrum of the general public. Bus and other
vehicle advertising can be especially effective because they are moving messages. A
staff vehicle with these colorful messages will be helpful for staff attending area special
events, to draw attention to a health presentation at the event.
The Transportation Advertising Council, a division of the Outdoor Advertising
Association of America, estimates that vehicle advertising generates between 30,000
and 70,000 daily impressions. The advertising industry defines an impression as a unit
representing when someone is likely to see an advertisement (one person + one
time=one impression). A vehicle wrap cost $5,000-7,000 for artwork and production and
lasts about three years. In the advertising industry, a vehicle wrap is considered to be a
moving billboard. By comparison, one billboard in one Seattle location would cost about
$1,000 per month. Outdoor advertising is intended to underscore other advertising and
outreach programs.
“Energize” box: If we think about
a food product that anyone in the
United States would instantly
recognize, the Oscar Mayer
hotdog is one that has been
branded for many years with the
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Oscar Mayer Weinermobile and the ubiquitous Oscar Mayer Weiner Whistle, which is
still given away in cities across the country.
To further healthy and active living messages, the Department of Health’s “wrapped”
vehicle will have an “Energize” box stored in the trunk of the vehicle. Instead of whistles,
the box will be stocked with literature, store coupons, farmers’ market tokens and
promotional items such as beanbag toys in the shapes of vegetables and fruits. A small
laminated notice will be posted on the car’s dashboard to suggest to the driver that these
materials can be handed out to anyone who comments about the car. Inventory for the
box will be managed by the 5 a Day program coordinator.
Information materials: Other elements of the campaign include greater distribution of
information pieces for the general public currently used by the Basic Food Nutrition
Education Program and other DOH programs, bumper magnets for use on personal and
business vehicles, development of an “Energize Your Life” Web page, a tabletop display
for outreach activities, and food demonstrations at farmers’ markets.
Already in print are “Energize Your Life” posters and fliers that can be used in employee
wellness programs at the Department of Health and other state agencies. This campaign
would include making these materials readily available to DOH employees and alerting
other state agencies about their availability.
Promotional and Communication Products
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Car wrap for one DOH state vehicle
“Kale-gate” box
Magnetic “bumper sticker” for use on personal and business vehicles.
Tabletop display for outreach activities
Posters
Flier/newsletter
Communication Issues
 There are many slogans related to nutrition and physical activity making it difficult to
build “brand awareness” for Washington state initiatives for the general public.
 Although the logo for the Energize Your Life project is copyrighted, the slogan is not.
 There are weight-loss businesses using Energize and Energize Your Life as
registered business names, which could become an issue if the department decides
in the future to build a consumer Web site with a URL using a domain name.
Audience(s)
 Schools, especially those with BFNEP-funded projects
 Visitors and vendors at farmers markets, state and county fairs
 Drivers on Washington roadways where state car or buses travel
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Message(s)
 Energize Your Life – Eat Healthy, Be Active!
 The Department of Health is actively promoting policy and community environmental
changes to make it easier for people in Washington to eat healthier and become
more active.
Desired Outcome
 Develop a set of graphic images that can be used to unify – or brand – visual
recognition for statewide nutrition and physical activity messages for the general
public.
 Offer positive reminders that eating healthy and being more active give people more
energy.
Timeline
Initiate contract for design elements for use
on all vehicle wrap, “kale-gate box”
and tabletop display
Initiate contract for vehicle wrap
Completed images for use on vehicle
Introduce new vehicle, “kale-gate,” and display
at opening of Tumwater Farmers’ Market
April 15, 2006
April 15, 2006
May 15, 2006
June 21, 2006
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