From Global Events to Brand IP: A Comprehensive Guide to Custom Medal Design and Manufacturing

Why Medals Represent Honor and Aspirations

Medals are more than symbols of success—they are carriers of cultural significance. From sports events to brand promotions, medals connect emotions, culture, and commercial value through their design and craftsmanship. For example, Olympic medals embody the host nation's history and culture, while brand IP medals enhance brand communication and fan engagement through creative designs.

The Broad Applications of Custom Medals

• Sports Events: From the Olympics and marathons to inter-school competitions, medals not only represent honor but also serve as cherished keepsakes for participants.
• Brand Promotions: Events like Disney-themed activities utilize promotional medals to attract fans and innovate brand marketing strategies.
• Commemorations and Campaigns: Corporate anniversaries, charitable activities, and marketing campaigns rely on medals to spread cultural and brand messages.

The Art of Custom Medal Design

1. Key Elements of Design Concepts

Communicating Themes: Imbuing medals with cultural and emotional meaning

Medal designs must encapsulate the core values of an event or brand. For instance, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals, crafted from recycled electronic waste, highlighted sustainability and resource reuse, sparking global awareness. Similarly, the Paris 2024 medals use materials from the Eiffel Tower, symbolizing France’s culture and architectural innovation. These designs elevate medals from physical objects to symbols of culture and environmental consciousness.

Brand IP medals also convey rich narratives. For example, Disney's Shanghai anniversary medals feature Mickey Mouse’s silhouette, brought to life with embossed details and metallic finishes, blending nostalgia with brand magic.

Shapes and Elements: Pushing the boundaries of traditional designs

Modern medal designs increasingly break away from conventional circular or rectangular forms. For instance, the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic medals took inspiration from Korean typography, combining embossed Olympic rings for a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity.

For brand promotions, innovative shapes like hourglasses convey themes such as time and sustainability, adding symbolic depth to the medal's message.

Color and Material Pairing: A dual sensory experience

Color and material choices define a medal’s visual and tactile appeal:

• Gold, Silver, Copper: Representing victory, elegance, and perseverance, these are staples for traditional competitions.
• Blue: Often used in education and charity medals, symbolizing trust and calmness, with gold accents for sophistication.
• Black and Silver: Popular in tech-focused medals, reflecting professionalism and futurism.

Material selection also reflects the medal’s purpose:

• Precious Metals: Used for high-profile events, enhancing the medal’s value and collectability.
• Zinc Alloy: Cost-effective and versatile, ideal for smaller-scale events and brand promotions.
• Recycled Metals: Combining sustainability with style, frequently used in marathons and the Olympics to promote environmental responsibility.

2. Case Studies of Iconic Designs

Tokyo Olympic Medals: A Benchmark for Sustainability and Innovation

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals were designed around the theme "United by Emotion," embodying the shared values of benefiting people and the planet. Materials were sourced from donated electronic waste, including old phones and appliances, collected through a project known as "Urban Mining." This initiative gathered approximately 78,985 tons of e-waste, extracting 30.3 kilograms of gold, 4,100 kilograms of silver, and 2,700 kilograms of copper to produce all 5,000 medals.

• Design Highlights: The front of the medal features a relief of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, while the back displays radiant patterns inspired by origami, symbolizing the Olympic spirit. This combination reflects Japan’s traditional culture and modern innovation.
• Integration of Culture: The medal cases and ribbons honor Japanese craftsmanship and Olympic values. The cases are dyed in the Olympic emblem colors using volcanic ash, with unique wood grains symbolizing the individuality of each athlete. The ribbons incorporate checkered patterns and kimono-inspired colors, representing diversity and unity.
• Environmental Significance: These designs not only demonstrate Japan’s commitment to sustainability but also raise global awareness about the importance of resource recycling. They mark the first instance in Olympic history where medals were made entirely from recycled materials.

Paris Olympic Medals: A Fusion of Culture and Symbolism

The Paris 2024 Olympic medals seamlessly blend French culture with modern design elements. Crafted partially from metal sourced from the Eiffel Tower, the medals were designed by Chaumet, a renowned jewelry brand under the LVMH group. Inspired by hexagons, radiance, and gemstones, the medals are a testament to France’s artistic and architectural legacy.

• Design Highlights: The front features a hexagonal shape, with the Eiffel Tower's metal outlining the map of France. The reverse side continues the tradition since 2004, showcasing Nike, the goddess of victory, witnessing the revival of the modern Olympics in the Panathena. For the first time, the Acropolis appears alongside the Eiffel Tower, blending ancient Greek inspiration, modern Olympic origins, and the unique theme of Paris 2024.
• Material Significance: Using materials from the Eiffel Tower gives the medals profound cultural depth while highlighting Paris as the host city. This adds exceptional commemorative and collectible value.

Disney-Themed Medals by Keep Fitness App

China’s Keep fitness app collaborated with Disney to create a series of themed medals, encouraging users to unlock medals by completing fitness challenges. These medals creatively integrate Disney's classic characters with fitness themes, offering a unique interactive experience.

• Design Highlights:
  • Mickey Mouse Medal: Featuring Mickey’s iconic silhouette combined with running shoes and gym equipment, this design exudes vitality and energy. The embossed craftsmanship captures intricate details, delivering a high-quality aesthetic.
  • Frozen Medal: Incorporating snowflake motifs and Elsa’s silhouette, this medal showcases blue-and-white gradients with glitter finishes, perfectly encapsulating the movie’s icy theme.
• User Engagement: Each medal is tied to specific fitness challenges, such as “Complete a 10-kilometer run to earn the Mickey medal.” This gamified approach motivates users to stay active while strengthening Disney's brand influence among younger audiences in China.
• Social Media Impact: The medal series sparked widespread discussions online, with users sharing medal photos and the campaign trending on Weibo. This collaboration successfully merged Disney’s IP with fitness culture, enhancing Keep’s user engagement and boosting Disney’s brand presence in the Chinese market.

Analysis of Design Trends

• Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Design: As environmental awareness deepens, more brands and events are adopting recycled metals or plant-based materials for medal production. This not only reduces resource consumption but also conveys a commitment to sustainable development and social responsibility.
• Cultural Expression: Medal designs increasingly incorporate regional characteristics, using local cultural symbols, historical elements, or iconic architecture to highlight the unique identity and value of the host. Medal ribbons have also become key elements of cultural expression, often featuring patterns, regional emblems, or celebratory text to reinforce the sense of place and tradition.
• Personalization and Customization: Brand events are leaning towards creating unique medal designs that reflect event-specific themes or non-traditional shapes. Custom ribbons with exclusive colors, logos, or printed patterns further enhance the medal's distinctiveness, strengthening participants’ emotional connections and creating lasting memories of the event.
• Digital Technology: Medals embedded with QR codes or AR technology provide access to event information, brand stories, or virtual rewards. These features increase interactivity and digital engagement, elevating the functionality and appeal of the medals.

Comprehensive Process of Medal Manufacturing

1. Production Preparation Phase

• Mold Creation: CNC engraving technology precisely converts design drafts into high-precision molds, ensuring all design details are accurately presented during mass production.
• Material Selection: Materials are chosen based on project requirements:
  • Common Metals: Zinc alloy (low melting point, easy casting, cost-effective), copper (premium texture), and recycled metals (eco-friendly).
  • Precious Metals and Others: To enhance artistic value, rare metals like silver, platinum, and gold are used. Affordable metals like brass, aluminum, iron, and nickel are also popular for economic options, often finished with gold plating or engraved patterns to enhance appearance. Non-metal materials like stone, gemstones, glass, ceramic, or plastic can also be used for unique designs.
  • Trend in Modern Events: Zinc alloy is commonly used for its low cost and ease of casting.
• Shape Customization:
  • Common Shapes: Circular medals are the standard.
  • Unique Shapes: Rectangular medals are known as "plaquettes," square ones as "klippe," and decorative shapes like crosses or stars are often used for themed events, typically with hanging rings and wide colorful ribbons.

2. Core Manufacturing Techniques

• Casting and Stamping: Metal forming techniques create the medal’s base design, ensuring uniformity and high-quality finishes. Relief designs on medals are usually more pronounced than on coins, enhancing their three-dimensional appearance.
• Surface Treatments: Electroplating and hand polishing improve texture and color, giving medals a refined look.
• Coloring and Printing:
  • Enamel Filling: Ideal for complex patterns, such as intricate Olympic medal textures.
  • UV Printing: High-resolution images, like Disney-themed designs, are achieved with precision.
• Laser Engraving and Cutting: Used for text engraving and precise shaping to ensure flawless detailing.
• Size Standards: Common medal sizes range from 1.5 to 3 inches (3.8 to 7.6 cm). Custom sizes, including smaller or larger dimensions, are available to meet specific needs.

3. Post-Production and Assembly

• Ribbons and Accessories: Custom ribbons with branded logos further enhance the medal’s overall design. Typical ribbon lengths are 30 inches (76 cm), with customized options available. Hanging designs include:
  • Top Attachment: Small connectors linking the medal to the ribbon.
  • Ribbon Integration: Ribbons threaded through or folded into the attachment ring for wearing around the chest.
  • Pin-Based Medals: Featuring short ribbons secured with pins, often designed as decorative elements themselves.
• Packaging: Premium packaging adds value and protects the medals, making them ideal for high-profile events and brand promotions.

Key Factors for Successful Integration of Design and Production

• Seamless Collaboration: Close coordination between the factory and design team ensures every detail from the concept is reflected in the final product.
• Balancing Innovation and Practicality: Creative designs are balanced with cost control to ensure scalability and commercial value.
• Time Management: Accurate planning and progress monitoring ensure timely delivery to meet event schedules.

Why Choose ASNY Craft Factory for Custom Medals

• Professional Expertise: With 20 years of experience in custom medal production, ASNY serves global brands and events, understanding industry demands and trends.
• Superior Craftsmanship: From material selection to finishing, ASNY employs cutting-edge techniques and eco-friendly solutions to ensure outstanding quality.
• Flexible Customization and Rapid Delivery: Catering to both small and large orders with global logistics support, ASNY meets diverse client needs with efficient delivery.

Conclusion

Medals are not just symbols of honor—they reflect the cultural essence of events and brands. With ASNY Craft Factory’s expertise in design and production, you can create custom medals that blend artistry and functionality. Contact us today to craft exclusive medals that make your brand or event shine!