This page includes information about proper usage of the We Can!™ brand and logo for all groups and individuals. These brand and logo guidelines address the use of the trademarked We Can!™ logo and word mark, as well as the color palette, Web address, and toll-free number. Download the guidelines in PDF format.
The guidelines are divided into the following sections:
Introduction to the We Can!™ Brand
Guidance on We Can!™ Logo Usage
Guidance on We Can!™ Name Usage in Text
Guidance of Other Usages (Web, Slide Presentations, etc.)
Introduction to the We Can!™ Brand
We Can!™ (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) is a national public education outreach program charged with helping youth ages 8–13 maintain a healthy weight through activities and programs that encourage improved nutritional choices, increased physical activity, and reduced screen time.
We Can!™ is unique among existing youth obesity-prevention initiatives in its focus on programs and activities for parents and families as a primary group for influencing youth audiences. Audiences are reached through community outreach, national media and messages, and partnership development. The program has been developed by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), in collaboration with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
We Can!™ is an overarching and all-encompassing brand for addressing childhood overweight and uses upbeat, encouraging, positive, “do-able,” informative, and reassuring tones to convey its message. The overall goal is to show parents and caregivers, through easy-to-use materials, that they can influence their children by supporting and enabling good nutrition, physical activity, and reducing sedentary time behaviors, and ultimately create a home environment conducive to supporting a healthy weight for their children.
These brand and logo guidelines are for all groups and individuals, including but not limited to We Can!™ community sites, cities, and counties; national and corporate partners; and any other groups supporting and/or promoting the NIH We Can!™ program. These brand and logo guidelines address the use of the trademarked We Can!™ logo and word mark (We Can!™ used in text without the logo), as well as its color palette, URL (http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov), and toll-free number (1-866-35-WECAN).
The We Can!™ trademark is owned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). We encourage you to use the We Can!™ brand, logo, and word mark in banners, publications, posters, promotional materials, and giveaways that promote We Can!™ programming in your community and among your constituency. To maintain the integrity of the We Can!™ message, tone, and meaning, the logo and word mark can only be used with programs, events, and information whose goals are consistent with the objectives of NIH’s We Can!™ program.
Appropriate Use of the We Can!™ Brand
The We Can!™ logo, word mark, URL, and toll-free number (1-866-35-WECAN) can be placed on the following:
Inappropriate Use of the We Can!™ Brand
We Can!™ is not an “anti” campaign and should not be used on materials that speak negatively about unhealthy or physically inactive behaviors or materials that discuss tobacco cessation or alcohol use topics. We Can!'s focus is on the promotion of healthy weight and the prevention of overweight and obesity. Under no circumstances should We Can!™ be associated with unhealthy behaviors or products (e.g., alcohol consumption, tobacco use, or firearms) or related companies.
NHLBI has applied for trademark registration of four We Can!™ trademarks, which are provided below:
1. We Can!™ Logo with Tagline
This trademarked logo includes:
2. We Can!™ Logo without Tagline
This trademarked logo includes:
3. We Can!™ Word Mark with Tagline
WE CAN! WAYS TO ENHANCE CHILDREN'S ACTIVITY & NUTRITION™
This trademarked word mark includes:
4. We Can!™ Word Mark without Tagline
We Can!™
This trademarked word mark includes:
When using the trademarked logos above, you must use the actual logo. Do not use another typeface to recreate the logo, no matter how similar. Always use one of the logo options in its entirety, and do not add text to the logo nor integrate the We Can!™ logo into a composite logo of any type. Just as you may not tamper with the elements of the logo, neither may you adjust their appearance by distorting or altering the shape, proportions, or letters. See below for more information on logo usage.
The We Can!™ word mark may not be integrated into a composite name or slogan of any type. Read more about appropriate and inappropriate word mark usage.
The following attribution must be included once in any document in which the We Can!™ logo or word mark is included: “We Can!™ is a trademark of the U.S. DHHS.” The attribution should not be intrusive from a graphic design perspective, and it does not need to be included on production items such as t-shirts or other items that do not lend themselves to an attribution statement.
Guidance on We Can!™ Logo Usage
Brand and Logo Colors
Below is the preferred two-color family for the We Can!™ brand/logo. These two colors should be used and integrated whenever possible. Pantone® Management System (PMS) numbers have been provided. When these color choices are not available, please ask your vendor or printer to provide the best possible match.
Blue
Pantone® Matching System #300
RGB #s for color selection in programs:
Red: 0
Green: 120
Blue: 193
Orange
Pantone® Matching System #021
RGB #s for color selection in programs:
Red: 245
Green: 142
Blue: 30
Ideally, when the We Can!™ logo is used in two-color format, it should not be used in other color combinations. It is important to consider how the logo will look against the background you are using, paying particular attention to how color is used in other elements near or surrounding the logo.
Alternatives to the colored logos include black, white, and grayscale.
Black: this logo is best for one-color print jobs, when printing on a black-and-white laser printer, or with a lighter solid color background such as cyan or light green.
White: this logo looks good on a solid background like black or other dark colors. No other combination of two colors is acceptable in the logo, and these colors may not be screened (shaded), shadowed, or altered in any other way.
Grayscale: this logo is a grayscale version of the two-color version.
Size and Placement of the Logo in Print
Use of the Logo on Promotional Material
Use of the Logo as a Partner Group or with Other Groups’ Logos
The logo may also be used in conjunction with other organizations’ logos, but only if the organization’s mission is consistent with the intent of We Can!™ (see Inappropriate Use of the We Can!™ Brand for clarification). In addition:
Guidance on We Can!™ Name Usage in Text
Whenever We Can!™ is used in text, the We Can!™ word mark must be kept distinct from the rest of the heading by doing the following:
Example: The goal of promotion is to get people talking about We Can!™ and eager to take part in it.
When the tagline is included, the first letter of each word should be in boldface (i.e., Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition).
When We Can!™ requires punctuation after the logo (e.g., when a comma, quotation mark, colon, semicolon, or period is grammatically required after the program name’s exclamation point), the We Can!™ exclamation point prevails as the ending punctuation and other punctuation marks are not used.
Example: These messages are supported by parents involved in We Can!™
Appropriate Usage of Word Mark in Text
The following examples demonstrate appropriate use of the We Can!™ word mark in text.
Example: We Can!™ Successes in Clear Beach, California!
Rationale: The We Can!™ name is distinct from the rest of the heading through the use of italics and bold; trademark protection is provided.
Example: We Can!™ is Coming to Clear Beach!
Rationale: The We Can!™ name is distinct from the rest of the heading through the use of italics and bold; trademark protection is provided.
Example: We Can!™ Clear Beach!
Rationale: The We Can!™ name is distinct from the name of the city through the use of italics and bold; trademark protection is provided.
Example: Step UP Will Offer We Can!™ Materials
Rationale: The We Can!™ name is distinct from the local program name, “Step UP,” and trademark protection is provided.
Inappropriate Usage of Word Mark in Text
The following examples demonstrate inappropriate use of the We Can!™ word mark in text.
Example: Clear Beach says We Can! Do It!
Rationale: The We Can!™ name is not distinct (no italics and bold are used), it has been integrated into the heading/slogan for local use, and the trademark is not included.
Example: We Can! Clear Beach!
Rationale: The We Can!™ name is not distinct (no italics and bold are used) and the trademark is not included.
Example: Clear Beach says We Can!™ Do It!
Rationale: The We Can!™ name is italicized, bolded, and includes the trademark, BUT it is integrated into a slogan for local use, which weakens the trademark.
Example: We Can!™ Step UP!
Rationale: The We Can!™ name is italicized, bolded, and includes the trademark, BUT it is integrated into a composite program name for local use, which weakens the trademark.
Use of the Logo or Word Mark on a Web Site
Use of the Logo or Word Mark in PowerPoint or Slide Presentations
Use of the Logo or Word Mark in Detachable Documents
If a portion of the written materials (e.g., one page of a handbook) is designed to be detached for further reference or distribution, the trademark symbol must be included on the detached portion, either in the form of the We Can!™ logo, or by noting the (™) in the text of the word mark.
Use these logos to brand your We Can!™ programming. These files are compressed and you may need a program to unzip the files. You may need to download WinZip®.
Two-color
Black
White
Grayscale
Each logo is available in three formats.
Please call 1-866-35-WECAN or email nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov with any questions.
We Can!™ is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.