By Todd Kealey, Senior Manager, Communications

For centuries, the yellow ribbon has been a symbol associated with devotion towards a loved one who is away and the desire for their safe return home. Over the years, it has been mentioned in numerous songs and it has most recently come to be associated with support for the men and women in uniform, particularly those posted aboard.

In Canada, Canadian Forces Non-Public Property, through its CANEX operations, adopted the yellow ribbon in May 2005 as a means to allow Canadians to show their support for our troops and as a mechanism for raising additional funds for the good of these troops. This is mainly through the purchase of official Support Our Troops merchandise from CANEX. Proceeds from the sale of “Support Our Troops” items featuring the Canadian Yellow Ribbon are reinvested directly into morale and welfare programs for the benefit of Canadian Forces members and their families. These programs, activities and services are provided to enhance the quality of life of our men and women in uniform both at home and overseas.

When authentic “Support Our Troops” merchandise is purchased from a CANEX retail outlet, contributions are made to local Base/Wing funds. To date, this Yellow Ribbon merchandise has generated well over $1 million in proceeds.

While numerous variants of the yellow ribbon symbol can be seen, only two types officially represent the initiatives of Non-Public Property and the Canadian Forces. Consequently, only when one of these two is used, can you be certain with a strong sense of confidence that it legitimately contributes to the welfare of the men and women in uniform in Canada.

Two additional authorized variants of the above will sometimes be used. These are camouflage-style bilingual ribbons; one in green/temperate camo and the other in desert/arid camo. These authorized variants maintain the general appearance, text, shape and proportions of the above image.

Given that the versions shown here are the ones that have been trademarked in Canada on behalf of our troops, it is important to ensure that the correct image is used in ALL officially approved situations. This includes posters, banners, CF newspapers, advertisements, promotional items, etc. Why is this important? When an incorrect version of the Support Our Troop Yellow Ribbon is used, it “harms our brand”, to use the language of marketing folks.

Mainly, it’s a question of trust & confidence. The Support Our Troop Yellow Ribbon is no different from any other product out there. For example, if a certain soft drink was in a brown or orange can instead of that particular shade of red, would you trust the vendor trying to sell you that big name cola? Would you feed your baby with food that did not have that specific little smiling face on the jar? When the correct Support Our Troop Yellow Ribbon image is used, it lets everyone know that the activity is fully sanctioned by Non-Public Property and that any proceeds that may be derived from the activity will be directed towards supporting our Canadian troops. Unlike some charitable organizations that deflect some revenue to address their administrative costs, we allocate 100% of proceeds from Support Our Troops activities towards various funds that were established to aid Canadian Forces members and their families when traditional means are not available.

When people using the incorrect variant of the image violate the trademark of the Support Our Troop Yellow Ribbon, Canadians cannot have the comfort of knowing that their aid and goodwill is being legitimately applied. This could deter some people from becoming involved. This could be particularly harmful if the misused image was done with the aid of Non-Public Property personnel who may be unaware of these repercussions.

When people who are not authorised to do so use the correct image, this erodes the trust of the Canadian public in legitimate Non-Public Property Support Our Troops programs. Another risk is that, while the activity may be well intentioned, there is no way of knowing that any or all funds raised will benefit the Canadian Forces community. This is why it is important to protect our image especially when it appears in advertisements, fundraisers or merchandise.

If you see a yellow ribbon being used, please feel free to ask about its usage and origin. Ask where the money is being directed. If it is NOT an authorized usage, it is OK to let them know that they are harming the property of the Canadian Forces. Also, if it is a legitimate application, if necessary, help ensure that a correct version of the Canadian Support Our Troop Yellow Ribbon image is used by putting them in contact with the Communications team.

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MW Team Updates • Director General Personnel & Family Support Services
November 2009 • Serving Those Who Serve • www.cfpsa.com