Medal of Honor
Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta
Branding | Graphic design
The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest medal of valor in combat that can be awarded to U.S service members. In 2010, Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta became the first living Medal of Honor recipient in nearly 40 years. He received the prestigious military decoration from President Barak Obama for risking his life above and beyond the call of duty to save a teammate from Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.
As a member of the U.S. Army's communication campaign team for this high visibility event, I was responsible for developing the overall Medal of Honor branding that was used in print and digital products to tell his story of heroism.
BRANDING
Inspiration for the brand was taken directly from the Medal of Honor ribbon itself. The recipient's logo features a pattern of 13 stars that represent the original 13 colonies. The white on light blue color palette mimics the ribbon's color scheme.
The Medal of Honor brand also incorporates the words from the Army's Warrior Ethos, which is a set of principles by which every Soldier lives. Although battlefields have changed throughout history, the common theme that ties every Medal of Honor recipient is their act of courage to risk their lives for someone else, which is the ultimate extension of the Warrior Ethos.
Medal of honor Products
This branding was implemented in a suite of print, video, web and social media products. I designed and coordinated the production of all print products for the White House award ceremony and Pentagon's Hall of Heroes induction ceremony, to include:
• Official poster
• Tabletop displays for the official citation
• Wall displays for Hall of Heroes ceremony
• Ceremony programs
• Video monitor displays
• DVD compendiums
• DVD compendiums
• Communication campaign reports
• Letterheads used for official correspondence from Staff Sgt. Giunta
Graphics were distributed to media outlets for use in news coverage and were also featured on national talk shows and sporting events during the subsequent media engagement tour. I also coordinated with the Army's web team to integrate branding across digital products, including news articles, social media posts, and the Army's official microsite to honor Staff Sgt. Giunta.
Other Medal of Honor Campaigns
In addition to Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta's Medal of Honor campaign, I've proudly been involved in 30 Medal of Honor projects since 2006, honoring recipients from seven different military conflicts. While the overall look and feel of branding remained the same, each recipient received a custom design specific to their conflict and heroic acts.
I served as a graphic designer creating the branding and print products for nine Medal of Honor recipients. For the remaining projects, I was a web designer and creative director on the U.S. Army's web team, supporting the development of microsites and social media promotions. For more information on my design efforts on Medal of Honor websites, visit my Medal of Honor: Capt. Florent Groberg project.
