CVS Health Launches National “Wear Your HeART” Bandage Art Contest to Promote Health, Creativity and Community Well-Being
CVS Health has announced the launch of its nationwide “Wear Your HeART” Bandage Art Contest, a creative initiative inviting people across the United States to share original artwork inspired by the importance of protecting personal, family and community health.
The contest brings together creativity, health awareness and community engagement by giving artists, students, families and community groups an opportunity to transform their ideas about health protection into original artwork. Through the initiative, CVS Health aims to highlight the many different ways people think about staying healthy, supporting loved ones and helping protect the well-being of their communities.
As part of the contest, four Grand Prize winners will have their artwork featured on limited-edition CVS brand adhesive bandages. The special bandages are expected to be available for use at CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide during immunizations beginning in fall 2027. In addition to having their designs featured on the bandages, each Grand Prize winner will receive $5,000 and have their work recognized through related promotional materials.
The “Wear Your HeART” initiative provides participants with a platform to express personal perspectives on health and wellness through visual art. Rather than limiting the concept of health protection to a single action, the contest encourages participants to consider the different choices and behaviors that can contribute to individual and community health.
“Protection can look different for everyone, whether it’s getting vaccinated, caring for a loved one, or taking small steps to stay healthy,” said Erin Condon, Chief Marketing Officer, Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness, CVS Health. “Through this contest, we’re inviting people to share their unique perspectives on what it means to protect their health and their communities.”
A Creative Approach to Health Awareness
Health-related messaging is often communicated through educational campaigns, clinical information and public health initiatives. The “Wear Your HeART” contest takes a different approach by using creativity and personal expression to encourage conversations about health.
Adhesive bandages are familiar products associated with everyday care and protection. By incorporating original artwork into a product that can be seen and used by people during healthcare interactions, CVS Health is connecting a simple everyday item with broader themes surrounding wellness and community health.
The contest also gives participants an opportunity to interpret the concept of health protection in their own way. For some, protection may be associated with vaccination and preventive care. For others, it may involve supporting a family member, adopting healthier habits, helping neighbors or taking steps to maintain overall well-being.
This open-ended approach allows participants from different backgrounds and age groups to bring their own experiences and perspectives to the campaign.
Contest Open to Participants Across the United States
The “Wear Your HeART” Bandage Art Contest is open to legal residents of the United States who meet the eligibility requirements established under the official contest rules.
Adults who are 18 years of age or older may submit entries on their own behalf. Participants under the age of 18 can also take part, but their submissions must be entered by a parent, legal guardian or another adult who is at least 18 years old.
The contest is designed to accommodate both individual and collaborative participation. People can enter independently, while families, student groups, community organizations and other groups can also create and submit artwork together.
Each individual or group is limited to one entry, providing participants with an opportunity to develop a single concept that best represents their interpretation of the contest theme.
The structure of the contest allows a wide range of participants to participate, from experienced artists to students and families creating artwork specifically for the initiative.
Artwork Theme Centers on Protecting Health
Participants are asked to submit original artwork that creatively reflects what protecting their health means to them.
The theme provides considerable creative flexibility while maintaining a clear connection to health and wellness. Participants can use visual storytelling to communicate personal experiences, ideas about prevention or messages about caring for others.
One of the key requirements is that submitted artwork must incorporate the CVS heart as part of the design. The heart serves as an important visual element connecting each submission to CVS Health while giving artists an opportunity to incorporate the brand symbol into their own creative concepts.
The requirement also creates a common visual element across entries while allowing participants to develop distinct artistic interpretations.
For artists and students, the contest provides an opportunity to explore how a recognizable healthcare brand can be incorporated into original artwork. For families and community groups, it offers a collaborative activity centered on conversations about health and wellness.
Four Grand Prize Winners to Be Selected
Four participants or groups will ultimately be selected as Grand Prize winners.
The winning designs will have an opportunity to become part of CVS Health’s consumer-facing healthcare experience through limited-edition CVS brand adhesive bandages. The bandages are planned for use in CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide during immunizations beginning in fall 2027.
The winning artwork will also receive additional visibility through related promotional materials. Each Grand Prize winner will receive $5,000, providing both recognition and a financial award for the creative contribution.
Having artwork featured on bandages used during immunizations gives the winners an opportunity to connect their creative work with a healthcare activity that takes place in communities across the country.
The initiative therefore combines an artistic competition with a practical healthcare setting, potentially allowing winning designs to become part of people’s experiences when visiting CVS Pharmacy for immunizations.
Judging Criteria Emphasize Storytelling and Creativity
Entries will be assessed using several criteria designed to evaluate both the creative quality of the artwork and its connection to the contest’s central theme.
One major consideration is story and impact. Judges will look for entries that communicate a clear, compelling and authentic story while demonstrating an understanding of the “Protect Your Health” theme.
This criterion gives importance to the meaning behind the artwork rather than focusing solely on visual appearance. Participants are encouraged to communicate why health protection matters to them and how their design represents that idea.
Another criterion is creativity and expression. Submitted artwork should be original and unique while remaining consistent with the contest theme. This element allows participants to demonstrate their individual artistic style and approach.
The contest will also consider execution and quality. Participants are expected to complete all submission requirements and demonstrate effort and attention to detail in their artwork. This means that both the creative concept and the quality of the completed submission will contribute to the evaluation.
Finally, entries will be assessed for brand alignment. Participants must incorporate the CVS Health heart thoughtfully within their designs. The requirement is intended to ensure that the artwork remains connected to CVS Health while preserving the participant’s own creative expression.
Together, these criteria provide a framework for evaluating the entries across storytelling, originality, execution and connection to the CVS Health brand.
Multi-Stage Review and Selection Process
Once the submission period concludes, entries will move through an initial review process conducted by a panel of judges.
The judging process may include additional evaluation stages for finalists before the final Grand Prize selections are made. This process is intended to provide a structured way to review submissions and identify artwork that meets the contest’s published requirements and judging criteria.
A panel of CVS Health judges will select the four Grand Prize winners based on the official judging criteria.
The selected winners will be notified directly and are expected to be announced publicly in January 2027.
The January announcement will mark the conclusion of the selection process and identify the artists or groups whose designs will ultimately be featured on the limited-edition CVS brand adhesive bandages.
Connecting Preventive Care With Community Engagement
The “Wear Your HeART” contest also reflects the broader role that preventive healthcare plays in protecting individual and community health.
Vaccination is one example specifically referenced by CVS Health as part of the campaign’s broader concept of protection. However, the initiative recognizes that health protection can involve many different actions and responsibilities.
People may support their health through preventive appointments, healthy lifestyle choices, caring for relatives, following medical guidance or helping others access healthcare services. By inviting participants to interpret the theme through artwork, CVS Health is encouraging people to consider the personal meaning behind these actions.
The campaign’s connection to immunizations is particularly relevant because the winning designs are planned to appear on bandages used at CVS Pharmacy locations during immunization services beginning in fall 2027.
This creates a connection between the contest’s creative component and a practical healthcare environment. Artwork developed by participants could eventually be seen by patients and families during vaccination visits, extending the campaign beyond the initial competition.
Opportunities for Artists, Students and Community Groups
The contest is structured to encourage participation from a broad range of creative contributors.
Artists can use the initiative to showcase their visual storytelling and develop an original interpretation of health protection.
Students can use the contest as an opportunity to explore themes related to wellness, community and creativity while developing an artwork submission.
Families can participate together and use the theme as a starting point for discussions about how different family members understand health and protection.
Community groups can also collaborate on a shared design that reflects their collective perspective on health and well-being.
This range of eligible participants allows the campaign to bring together different viewpoints rather than focusing on a single artistic or demographic audience.
A Broader Consumer Engagement Initiative
For CVS Health, the “Wear Your HeART” campaign represents a consumer engagement initiative that combines brand identity with healthcare-related messaging.
The CVS heart is required within every submission, making the visual identity an integral part of the creative process. At the same time, participants are given flexibility to determine how the symbol fits into their artwork and personal interpretation of the theme.
The resulting designs can provide different perspectives on what health protection means in everyday life. The contest therefore creates a two-way engagement opportunity: CVS Health provides the platform and theme, while participants contribute the stories and creative interpretations.
The planned use of the winning designs on limited-edition bandages further extends this engagement into CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide.
Looking Ahead to the 2027 Bandage Launch
The four Grand Prize-winning designs are expected to become part of a limited-edition CVS brand adhesive bandage collection used for immunizations beginning in fall 2027.
Before that stage, participants will submit their artwork, entries will be reviewed, finalists will undergo additional evaluation where applicable, and the final four winners will be selected.
With winners scheduled to be announced publicly in January 2027, the contest creates a multi-stage timeline that moves from public participation and creative expression to recognition and eventual use of the selected artwork in CVS Pharmacy locations.
Ultimately, the “Wear Your HeART” Bandage Art Contest brings together art, health awareness, preventive care and community participation. By asking people to express what protecting their health means to them, CVS Health is creating a platform for personal stories while connecting those stories with an everyday healthcare product.
The four winning designs will have an opportunity to reach audiences beyond the original contest participants when they are featured on limited-edition CVS brand adhesive bandages. Through this approach, CVS Health is turning a familiar healthcare item into a vehicle for creative expression and a reminder of the different ways individuals, families and communities can think about protecting their health.
Source link: https://www.cvshealth.com/
