Ribbon Colours
Campaign colours explained
Once upon a time, red signified danger, purple was reserved for royalty, and that was about all there was to colour coding. Now, it's used to such an extent that we must assign multiple interpretations to each colour.
In the past, coloured armbands were a way to show respect for the departed, allegiance to a political ideal, sympathy, solidarity or to create a sense of belonging to a social movement or worthy cause. Coloured ribbons were used mainly as decoration for military medals. Recent years have seen the proliferation of coloured lapel ribbons, which have become a modern replacement of the armbands, advertising various awareness campaigns, causes and organisations.
Sometimes the ribbon is worn with another symbol. For example, Christians might wear a ribbon in conjuction with a lapel pin cross to Christianize their message (see AIDS cross.)
Wear a ribbon and you fly the flag of your favourite cause. But don't expect everyone to instantly recognise which cause you are supporting. Dozens of colours and over 500 causes are listed on this page, which is not exhaustive.
(If your campaign ribbon is missing from this list, send details to info@seiyaku.com.)
Ribbon Colours
Click on a colour name to see the campaigns related to that colour, or sort by campaign.
Cause, campaign or organisation for each colour
| Colour | Cause or Awareness | Alternative Colour | |
| silver | Brain Disabilities | ||
| Brain Disorders | |||
| Campaign for the Brain | |||
| Children with Physical or Learning Disabilities | |||
| Disabled Children | |||
| Dyslexia | |||
| Elderly Abuse | |||
| Encephalitis | |||
| Niemann-Pick | |||
| Parkinson's Disease | |||
| Schizophrenia | |||
| Sciatic Pain | |||
| Strokes | red | ||
| VACTERL | |||
| Young Onset Parkinson's | |||
| gray | Allergies | ||
| Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency | |||
| Aphasia | |||
| Asthma | |||
| Brain Cancer | |||
| Brain Tumor | |||
| Diabetes | white | ||
| Mental Illness | green | ||
| black | Accidents | burgundy | |
| Amish Support | |||
| Anti-Gang | |||
| Anti-Terrorism | |||
| Cirrhosis | |||
| Gang Prevention | |||
| Gun Control | |||
| Melanoma | orange | ||
| Mourning | |||
| Narcolepsy | |||
| POW / MIA | yellow2 | ||
| Primary Biliary Cirrhosis | |||
| Sleep Apnea | |||
| Sleep Disorders | |||
| Students for Gun Control | |||
| Trauma | |||
| burgundy | Accidents | black | |
| Adhesions | |||
| Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome | |||
| AV Malformation | |||
| Brain Aneurysm | |||
| Cesarean Section | |||
| Cystic Hygroma | |||
| Disabled Adults | |||
| Factor V Leiden | |||
| Headaches | |||
| Hemangioma & Vascular Malformation | |||
| Hereditary Hemochromatosis | |||
| Hospice Care | |||
| Hughes Syndrome | |||
| Lymphatic Malformation | |||
| Meningococcal Meningitis | |||
| Meningitis | |||
| Migraines | |||
| Multiple Myeloma | |||
| PHACES | |||
| Post-Polio Syndrome | |||
| Sickle Cell Anemia | |||
| Sturge-Weber Syndrome | |||
| Thrombophilia & other coagulation or blood factor disorders | |||
| William's Syndrome | |||
| brown | Anti-Tobacco | ||
| Colon Cancer | blue | ||
| Colorectal Cancer | blue | ||
| Familial Polyposis | blue | ||
| Tobacco Awareness | |||
| red | AIDS1 | ||
| Cardiovascular Disease | |||
| Congenital Heart Defects | red & blue | ||
| Congenital Heart Disease | red & blue | ||
| Congestive Heart Failure | |||
| Courage & Inspiration | |||
| DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) | |||
| Diamond-Blackfan Anemia | |||
| Driving Under the Influence | |||
| Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) | |||
| Epidermolysis Bullosa | |||
| Evans Syndrome | |||
| Factor XI Deficiency | |||
| Heart Disease | |||
| Hemophilia | |||
| Hepatitis C | red & yellow | ||
| High Blood Pressure | |||
| HIV | |||
| HIV / HCV Co-Infection | red & yellow | ||
| Huffing | |||
| Hypertension | |||
| Inhalant Abuse | |||
| Long Q-T Syndrome | |||
| Love | |||
| Lymphoma | lime green | ||
| MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) | |||
| Marfan Syndrome | |||
| Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) | |||
| Project Red Flag | |||
| Pro-life | |||
| Sniffing Abuse | |||
| Stroke | silver | ||
| Substance Abuse | teal | ||
| Supraventricular Tachycardia | |||
| TB (Tuberculosis) | |||
| Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura | |||
| Tuberculosis (TB) | |||
| Von Willebrand's Disease | |||
| Wolf-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome | |||
| WPW (Wolf-Parkinson-White) Syndrome | |||
| cranberry | Fibromyalgia | purple | |
| TMJ | |||
| copper | Menkes Disease | ||
| orange | Agent Orange - Justice for Vietnamese Agent Orange victims | ||
| Cultural Diversity | |||
| Feral Cats | |||
| Hunger | |||
| Leukemia | green | ||
| Lupus | purple | ||
| Melanoma | black | ||
| Motorcycle Safety | |||
| Racial Tolerance | |||
| Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome | |||
| Self Injury | |||
| Support of Jewish Settlements in Gaza Strip & North Samaria | |||
| gold | Childhood Cancer | ||
| COPD | |||
| Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma Neuroblastoma | |||
| yellow | Adenosaracoma | ||
| Adoptive Parents | |||
| Amber Alert (Missing Children) | |||
| Bladder Cancer | |||
| Boycott Aruba | |||
| Canadian Cancer Society | |||
| Carbon Monoxide Poisoning | white | ||
| Complementary/Alternatie Medicine | |||
| Endometriosis | |||
| Equality | |||
| Ewings Sarcoma | |||
| Gulf War | |||
| Hope | |||
| Hydrocephaly | |||
| Liver Cancer | |||
| Liver Disease | |||
| Military Support | |||
| Missing Children (Amber Alert) | green | ||
| Myxoid Liposarcoma | |||
| Obesity | |||
| POW / MIA2 | black | ||
| Remembrance | |||
| Sarcoma | |||
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | |||
| SNP (Scottish National Party) | |||
| Suicide | |||
| Support Our Troops | |||
| Troop Support | |||
| pale yellow | Spina bifida | ||
| peach | Endometrial Cancer | ||
| Uterine Cancer | teal | ||
| cream | Osteoporosis | white | |
| Paralysis | |||
| Spinal Cord Injury | |||
| Spinal Disorders | |||
| Spinal Muscular Atrophy | |||
| lavender | Cancer | ||
| Caregiver | |||
| Epilepsy | purple | ||
| Foster Care | |||
| Gynecological Cancer | teal | ||
| Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis | |||
| Infantile Spasms | |||
| Rett Syndrome | |||
| white | Adoption | ||
| Alzheimer's | purple | ||
| Anti-Child Pornography | |||
| Anti-Pornography | |||
| Anti-stalking | |||
| Anti-War | |||
| Blindness | |||
| Bone Cancer | |||
| Bone Disease | |||
| Carbon monoxide poisoning (CO poisoning) | yellow | ||
| Child Exploitation | |||
| Child Sexual Abuse/Assault | |||
| Community Support | |||
| Congenital Cataracts | |||
| Diabetes | gray | ||
| Elderly Affairs | |||
| Gay-Teen Suicide | |||
| Hernia | |||
| Holocaust Remembrance | |||
| Hope & Support | |||
| Innocence | |||
| Molestation Survivor | |||
| Multiple Hereditary Exostoses | |||
| On-Line Sexual Predator | |||
| Opposition to the War | |||
| Osteoporosis | cream | ||
| Peace | |||
| Postpartum Depression | |||
| Retinoblastoma | |||
| Right to Life | |||
| Safe Motherhood | |||
| Salvation Army | |||
| Scoliosis | |||
| Sexual Assault of Students | |||
| Stalking | |||
| Student Sexual Assault | |||
| Teen Pregnancy Prevention | |||
| Victims of Terrorism | |||
| pearl4 | Emphysema | ||
| Lung Cancer | |||
| Lung Disease | |||
| Mesothelioma | |||
| Multiple Sclerosis | |||
| Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia | |||
| pink | Birth Parents | ||
| Breast Cancer | |||
| Cleft Palate | hot pink | ||
| Nursing Mothers | |||
| violet | Hodgkin's Disease | ||
| orchid | Testicular Cancer | ||
| hot pink | Cleft Palate / Cleft Lip | pink | |
| Inflammatory Breast Cancer | |||
| purple | 9/11 Victims | red, white, blue | |
| ADD | |||
| ADHD | |||
| Alzheimer's Disease | white | ||
| Animal Abuse | |||
| Anti-Violence | |||
| Arnold Chiari Malformation | |||
| Cancer Survivor | blue | ||
| Children Unattended in Cars | |||
| Colitis | blue | ||
| Crohn's Disease | blue | ||
| Cystic Fibrosis | |||
| Domestic Violence | blue, purple&teal | ||
| Eating Disorders Recovery | |||
| Epilepsy | lavender | ||
| Fibromyalgia | cranberry | ||
| Fibromyalgia (Men) | |||
| Harmony | |||
| Homelessness | |||
| Leimyosarcoma | |||
| Lupus | orange | ||
| Macular Degeneration | |||
| Mucolipidoses | |||
| Mucopolysaccharidosis | |||
| No Unattended Kids in Cars | |||
| Pagan Pride | |||
| Pancreatic Cancer | |||
| Pancreatitis (Chronic) | |||
| Religious Tolerance | |||
| Sarcoidosis | |||
| Sjogren's Syndrome | |||
| Thyroid Cancer | |||
| Victims of 9/11 - WTC | red, white, blue | ||
| blue | Alopecia | ||
| Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) | |||
| Ankylosing Spondylitis | |||
| ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) | |||
| Arthritis | |||
| Brachial Plexus Injuries | |||
| Cancer Survivor | purple | ||
| Child Abuse Prevention | |||
| Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | |||
| Colitis | purple | ||
| Colon Cancer | brown | ||
| Colorectal Cancer | brown | ||
| Crime Victim's Rights | |||
| Crohn's Disease | purple | ||
| Domestic Violence | purple, purple&teal | ||
| Drowning Awareness | |||
| Dysautonomia | |||
| Dystonia | |||
| Education | |||
| Epstein-Barr Virus | |||
| Erb's Palsy | |||
| Familial Polyposis | brown | ||
| Free Speech | |||
| Guillian Barre Syndrome | |||
| Huntington's Disease | |||
| Hurricane | |||
| Hurricane Katrina | |||
| Hystiocytosis | |||
| Ichthyosis | |||
| Internet Free Speech | |||
| Interstitial Cystitis | |||
| Japanese Abductees Kidnapped by North Korea | |||
| Langerhans Cell Hystiocytosis | |||
| Leukodystrophy | |||
| ME / CFIDS | |||
| Myositis | |||
| Police Lost in the Line of Duty | |||
| Rectal Cancer | |||
| Restless Legs Syndrome | |||
| Reye's Syndrome | |||
| Save The Music | |||
| Short Bowel Syndrome | |||
| Steven Johnson Syndrome | |||
| Teens Against Smoking | |||
| Transverse Myelitis | |||
| Victim's Rights | |||
| Water Accidents | |||
| Water Quality | |||
| Water Safety | |||
| teal | Agoraphobia | ||
| Anxiety Disorder | |||
| Batten Disease | |||
| Cervical Cancer | teal & white | ||
| Dissociative Identity Disorder | |||
| Ectodermal Dysphasia | |||
| Food Allergies | |||
| Fragile X | |||
| Gynecological Cancer | lavender | ||
| Myasthenia Gravis | |||
| Native American Reparations | turquoise | ||
| Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder | |||
| Ovarian Cancer | |||
| Panic Disorder | |||
| Polycystic Kidney Disease | |||
| Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome | |||
| Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | |||
| Progressive Supranuclear Palsy | |||
| Rape | |||
| Sexual Assault | purple & teal | ||
| Stress Disorder | |||
| Substance Abuse | red | ||
| Uterine Cancer | peach | ||
| lime green | Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy | ||
| Lyme Disease | |||
| Lymphoma | red | ||
| Muscular Dystrophy | |||
| Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma | |||
| Sandhoff Disease | |||
| turquoise | Addiction Recovery | ||
| Native American Reparations | teal | ||
| periwinkle | Acid Reflux Disease | ||
| Anorexia Nervosa | |||
| Bulimia Nervosa | |||
| Eating Disorders | |||
| Eosinophilic Disorders | |||
| Esophageal Cancer | |||
| Gastric Cancer | |||
| Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) | |||
| GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) | |||
| Irritable Bowel Syndrome | |||
| Pulmonary Hypertension | |||
| Small Intestine Cancer | |||
| Stomach Cancer | |||
| light blue | Addison's Disease | ||
| Behcet's Disease | |||
| Chronic Illness | |||
| DiGeorge Sequence | |||
| Graves Disease | |||
| Hyperaldosteronism | |||
| Klinefelter's Syndrome | |||
| Lymphedema | |||
| Men's Health | |||
| Pro Choice | |||
| Prostate Cancer | |||
| Scleroderma | |||
| Shprintzen Syndrome | |||
| Spay or Neuter Pets | |||
| Thyroid Disease | |||
| Trisomy 18 | |||
| Velo-Cardio Facial Syndrome | |||
| light green | Celiac Disease | ||
| Chronic Pelvic Pain | |||
| Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) | |||
| Pelvic Pain | |||
| Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) | |||
| STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) | |||
| mint green | Autosomal Recessive PKD | ||
| Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis | |||
| Genetic Disorders | |||
| Ivemark Syndrome | |||
| green | Bipolar Disorder | ||
| Bone Marrow Transplant & Donation | |||
| Cerebral Palsy | |||
| Childhood Depression | |||
| Depression | |||
| Driving Safety | |||
| Environment | |||
| Eye Injury Prevention | |||
| Fanconi's Syndrome | |||
| Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva | |||
| Freedom | |||
| Glaucoma | |||
| Growth & Rebuilding | |||
| Kidney Cancer | |||
| Kidney Disease | |||
| Kidney Donation | |||
| Leukemia | orange | ||
| Literacy Awareness | |||
| Living Organ Donation | |||
| Manic Depression | |||
| Mental Health | |||
| Mental Illness | gray | ||
| Mental Retardation | |||
| Missing Children | yellow | ||
| Mitochondrial Disease | |||
| Nephrotic Syndrome | |||
| Neural Tube Defects | |||
| Neurofibromatosis | |||
| Organ Donation | |||
| Organ Transplant | |||
| Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Progressiva | |||
| Safe Driving | |||
| Save Darafur | |||
| Spinal Cord Injury Research | |||
| Stem Cell Donor | |||
| Stem Cell Research | |||
| Tissue Donation or Transplants | |||
| Tourette's Syndrome | |||
| Transplant Tissue or Organ | |||
| Traumatic Brain Injury | |||
| Von Hippel Lindau | |||
| Worker Safety | |||
| olive green | Children's Neurobiological Solutions (CNS) | ||
| CNS (Children's Neurobiological Solutions) |
| orchid&orange | Eczema | |||
| Psoriasis | ||||
| pearl&white4 | Lung Cancer (Non-Smoker) | |||
| pink&blue | Amniotic Fluid Embolism | |||
| Baby Safe Haven | ||||
| Birth Defects | ||||
| Breast Cancer (Male) | ||||
| Hyperemesis Graviduram | ||||
| Infant Loss | ||||
| Infertility | ||||
| Male Breast Cancer | ||||
| Miscarriage | ||||
| Pregnancy Loss | ||||
| Premature Birth | ||||
| SIDS | ||||
| Stillbirth | ||||
| Sudden Infant Death Syndrome | ||||
| Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome | ||||
| purple&blue | Pediatric Stroke | |||
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | ||||
| pink&teal | Hereditary Breast Cancer | |||
| purple&teal | Domestic Violence | blue, purple | ||
| Sexual Assault | teal | |||
| purple&green | Hospice & Palliative Care | |||
| purple&yellow | Autoimmune Hepatitis | |||
| Chemical Injury | ||||
| Lupus with Endometriosis | ||||
| teal&white | Cervical Cancer | teal | ||
| aqua&lime green | Adult Stem Cell Donor | |||
| gold&silver | Ear Related Disorders & Diseases | |||
| Hearing Disorders | ||||
| Hearing Impairments | ||||
| Meniere's Disease | ||||
| Tinnitus | ||||
| red&white | Aplastic Anemia | |||
| DVT | ||||
| Head & Neck Cancer | ivory, burgundy, ivory | |||
| Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia | ||||
| Squamous Cell Carcinoma | ||||
| red&yellow | Hepatitis C | red | ||
| HIV / HCV Co-Infection | red | |||
| red&blue | Children with AIDS Campaign (UNICEF) | |||
| Congenital Heart Defects | red | |||
| Congenital Heart Disease | red | |||
| Hypo Plastic Left Heart Syndrome | ||||
| Noonan's Syndrome | ||||
| Pulmonary Fibrosis | ||||
| SADS | ||||
| UNICEF (Children with AIDS Campaign) | ||||
| blue&white | Teen Cancer | |||
| blue&yellow | Down Syndrome | |||
| Designated Drivers (The Hero Campaign) | ||||
| blue&silver | Coping with Cancer | |||
| black&white | Anti-Racism | |||
| Diversity | ||||
| Transitions | ||||
| black&red | Murder Victim | |||
| Murdered Children | ||||
| black&pink | Bone Marrow Donor | |||
| Mourning a Daughter | ||||
| Mourning a Female | ||||
| Mourning a Sister | ||||
| black&gold | Platelet Donor | |||
| black&blue | Mourning a Brother | |||
| Mourning a Male | ||||
| Mourning a Son |
| red, white&blue | 9/11 Victims | purple | |||
| Fireworks Safety | |||||
| National Support | |||||
| Patriotism | |||||
| WTC Heros | |||||
| WTC Victims | |||||
| Victims of 9/11 | purple | ||||
| white, red, white | Oral cancer | ||||
| ivory, burgundy, ivory | Head & neck cancer | red&white | |||
| blue, red, black | Polyamory | ||||
| black, white, black | Vaccine Awareness |
| pinstripe | ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) | |||||||
| Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) | ||||||||
| Carcinoid Cancer | ||||||||
| Lou Gehrig's Disease | ||||||||
| rainbow3 | Gay Pride | |||||||
| Same Sex Marriages |
Note: Seiyaku.com does not sell ribbons. This page is for information only and the accuracy cannot be guaranteed since organisations may change their ribbon colours. The hue of the colours on this page may be affected by the browser on your PC and may differ from actual ribbons. Also, the dye and material of the ribbon may affect the appearance and may fade over time. The inclusion of a campaign, cause or organisation on this page does not mean that seiyaku.com endorses that campaign, cause or organisation.
1 : See also AIDS Cross
2 : See also Yellow Cross
3 : See also Rainbow Cross
4 : Pearl is not a colour. Like cosmetics and household paint, fancy names are often given to colours to exploit the subjectiveness and emotional context of the words and their associations. The colour shown on this page marked as 'pearl' is actually called 'Misty Rose'.
