The American Red Cross is the designated U.S. affiliate of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, providing emergency assistance, disaster relief, and blood services. Its visual identity is built around the red cross emblem, a symbol whose use in the United States is protected by federal legislation, with the organization’s trademark rights dating back to 1881.[1]
Design and History
In February 2012, the American Red Cross unveiled a new brand identity featuring the iconic red cross presented within a circular “button” or pin shape.[2] The design was intended to symbolize the personal investment of volunteers, employees, and supporters in the Red Cross mission, and was inspired by lapel pins and buttons worn by Red Cross supporters in the early part of the 20th century.[2] The organization partnered with branding and design firm Turner Duckworth to create the new visual identity system.[3]
Turner Duckworth founding partner David Turner described the objective as bringing forth aspects of Red Cross heritage that remain relevant, with a modern rather than historical approach: “The logo is now a pin that symbolizes a sense of belonging and enthusiastic participation.”[3]
The 2012 identity introduced a logo suite with three distinct families. The button logo, the preferred version, is used for general marketing and communications. A flat disc version is used on colored backgrounds when the button logo will not reproduce well. The classic logo, featuring the traditional red cross with the organization’s name, is reserved for vehicles, most building signage, and situations where the marketing-oriented button logo is not appropriate, including disaster response contexts.[1][4]
In July 2025, the American Red Cross issued a brand accessibility update, noting that changes had been made to its logos, colors, and typography to meet WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 level AA accessibility standards.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The red cross emblem itself is a protected symbol under the Geneva Conventions, restricted to officially sanctioned Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations and military medical services. The American Red Cross has the exclusive right to use the Greek red cross in the United States, with the exception of a few individuals and companies that used it before 1905.[1]
The button logo’s circular form was designed to evoke the vintage pins worn by early Red Cross supporters, representing enthusiastic participation and a personal, grassroots connection to the organization.[6]
Typography and Design
The American Red Cross brand standards specify Georgia as the primary typeface for storytelling, expressing opinions, and calls to action, with chapter lockups using the organization’s name set in Georgia Regular.[6] Akzidenz-Grotesk is used for objective and factual communication, and may be used on its own or mixed with Georgia.[5]
The brand’s primary colors are white, Red Cross Gray, and Red Cross Red.[5] The 2012 redesign shifted the wordmark from black to gray, a change noted in contemporary coverage of the new identity.[7]
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