Community Action Tool Kit
Stay in Circulation Campaign Style Guide

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This Style Guide provides guidance on how to use the Stay in Circulation:  Take Steps to Learn About P.A.D. messaging and logos in your promotional materials. The Style Guide is intended for national and local partners, and other interested parties who are supporting and promoting the goals and objectives of Stay in Circulation.

Intended Use of the Stay in Circulation Logo
You are encouraged to use the Stay in Circulation messages and logo on posters, publications, and other materials that promote Stay in Circulation programs and events in your community.  The logo and URL, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/pad, can only be used with programs, events, and materials whose goals are consistent with those of Stay in Circulation.

Campaign Goal
The overarching goal of Stay in Circulation is to increase public and health care provider awareness about P.A.D. and its association with other cardiovascular diseases—with the goal of ultimately increasing prevention measures and early detection among all Americans over the age of 50.

Campaign Platform
The creative platform upon which the campaign is built is based on three key themes:

• Healthy legs are part of healthy aging and continued independence.
• Healthy legs let you enjoy the activities you want to do.
• Slowing down is not inevitable.

You will see that these themes are woven into all of the Stay in Circulation campaign materials.

Core Message
The core message reflects the key points of the Stay in Circulation campaign.  It conveys why people should pay attention to P.A.D.  It is important that in all of your communications, including media interviews, press releases, and feature stories, you convey the Stay in Circulation core message.  By communicating consistently, you will reinforce the campaign's messages about P.A.D.

P.A.D. can rob you of your independence and mobility by making walking difficult or, worse, by increasing your risk of heart attack, stroke, amputation, or even death.  Prevention, detection, and treatment can keep you active and healthy so that you can continue to spend time with your family and friends and participate in the activities you enjoy.

Supporting Messages
These messages provide more detail in support of the core message.

Risks:
The consequences of P.A.D. are serious.  Clogged arteries in your legs can make walking difficult and increase your risk for heart attack, stroke, amputation, or death.

For Families:
P.A.D. can threaten your quality of life as you get older and your ability to be there for your family.

For Individuals:
Our legs keep us engaged in life. They make it possible to be active, pursue our interests, and remain independent.

Action:
Early detection and treatment of P.A.D. can keep you active and healthier longer.

Call to Action
Use the call to action to provide your audience with a clear directive on what they should do to prevent P.A.D. and where they can go for more information.

Ask your health care provider to check your risk for P.A.D. and take action today to lower it.  Visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/pad for more information about P.A.D.

Stay in Circulation Boilerplate
The boilerplate provides a concise description of the campaign.

Stay in Circulation:  Take Steps to Learn About P.A.D. is a national awareness campaign to increase public and health care provider awareness about peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.) and its association with other cardiovascular diseases.  The campaign is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute—part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—in cooperation with the P.A.D. Coalition, an alliance of national organizations and professional societies united to improve the health and health care of people with P.A.D.  For more information, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/pad.

Common Grammatical Guidelines
The following are usage tips for some commonly used phrases and terms:

• The campaign should be referred to as a national AWARENESS campaign (not an EDUCATION campaign).
• P.A.D. should always be pronounced "P-A-D" not "PAD," and should always be written out as "P.A.D." not "PAD."
• P.A.D. stands for "peripheral arterial disease" not "peripheral artery disease."

Questions about the Style Guidelines
For questions about the Style Guidelines, please contact aboutpad@nhlbi.nih.gov.