TRICARE is the health care program of the United States Department of Defense, serving active duty service members, retirees, and their families. Its visual identity is managed under the TRICARE Trademark and Branding Program, which regulates the use of the TRICARE name, program option names, and logos as registered trademarks of the Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency (DHA).
Design and History
The TRICARE logo was introduced in the mid-1990s as the program was being established. A December 1995 memorandum from the Department of Defense documents that the TRICARE Marketing Office had decided to create a series of TRICARE logos, one for the system and one for each Lead Agent. Two marketing firms, Rynne Marketing Group and HMA Associates, both recommended a single universal logo over multiple regional versions, and both firms selected the same design as the “most simple, clean and recognizable option.”[1]The current logo consists of three identical but separate curved lines that descend and then rise like a single wave, stacked on top of each other. The right side of the top line joins at the base of the top triangle of the first of three identical five-pointed stars that are superimposed upon each other so that only the top and right side of each star is visible. Centered below the design is the word “TRICARE” in bold capital letters.[2]The TRICARE name and logo became registered trademarks of TRICARE Management Activity, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office requiring that the trademark be used in its correct format without variation.[3] The trademark application for the current design was filed in October 2009.[4]Meaning and Symbolism
The official trademark registration describes the design elements factually: three curved wave-like lines and three superimposed five-pointed stars.[2] The stars are a direct visual reference to the U.S. military, while the wave-like lines suggest motion and continuity. No official source provides an interpretive meaning for the individual elements beyond their visual description.Typography and Design
The TRICARE wordmark is set in bold capital letters beneath the graphic element.[2] The official TRICARE Brand Guide specifies that the logo may be reproduced in one-color versions using Pantone 280 (blue), Pantone 186 (red), or 100% black.[5] The two-color version of the logo uses Pantone 186 (red) and Pantone 280 (blue).[6]The TRICARE Brand includes all DHA marks using the word TRICARE, with or without a design element, and the brand guide governs how the logo may be placed on materials produced by TRICARE contractors or the government.[7] The national TRICARE logo may be “regionalized” by adding the region’s name to the right of the word “TRICARE” in either of the logo’s two colors.[8]Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
