Think Pink!

The Pink Ribbon

The ribbon symbol goes back to about 1979 when Penney Laingen, the wife of a hostage taken in Iran, was inspired by a song to tie yellow ribbons around trees in her yard to signal her desire to see her husband again. The ribbon quickly became a medium, used 11 years later by AIDS activists, who turned it red (the color of passion). The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation handed out pink visors to cancer survivors who ran the Race for the Cure in late 1990. By fall 1991, pink ribbons were given to all participants in the New York City race, thus starting the pink trend. It turned into a brilliant marketing tool with the color pink being considered feminine in western countries and the ribbon symbolizing goodwill.
Reviewed by: 
Review Date: 
October 8, 2015

Last Updated:
October 13, 2015