Supporting Awareness in Africa
What more does a brand need to get off it's feet than associations with big names like Ipod, the Gap, American Express, Converse, Armani and Motorola, not to mention celebrity endorsements from Oprah Winfrey, Mary J. Blige, actors Don Cheadle and Penelope Cruz, model Christy Turlington and comedian Chris Rock.
The (RED) campaign is the brainchild of U2 front-man, Bono, and Kennedy-cousin Bobby Shriver, who came together to create a brand with the sole purpose of raising funds and AIDS awareness in Africa.
“The idea is simple, the products are sexy and people live instead of die,” Bono said in a statement. “When you buy a (RED) product, the company gives money to buy pills that will keep someone in Africa alive.”
According to the (RED) website, up to 50 per cent of the profit made on a the sale of a (RED) t-shirt, Ipod or pair of shoes will go towards The Global Fund, which specifically helps buy drugs for African women and children living with HIV/AIDS.
For example if you buy a (RED) t-shirt from the Gap, at a cost of $28, half of the profit goes towards the cause.
With 60 per cent of people living with HIV/AIDS all over the globe living solely in Africa, and 5,500 of those dying on a daily basis, (RED) is calling the situation an emergency.
The campaign was launched alongside Bob Geldof's ONE initiative, which fights to make poverty a thing of the past in Africa and throughout the globe. Since it's inception in early 2006, (RED) has managed raise $10 million and has gained support through extensive ad campaigns, photo-ops and television appearances, even Myspace.com is onboard over the American Thanksgiving weekend, when the site will go red and video banners will support the message.
According to the (RED) site, the brackets around the brand are to represent “the embrace,” so each product will have the bracketed brand exposed. Such as the (RED) t-shirts at the Gap that have words like INSPI(RED) and SHA(RED) splashed across the front.
The (RED) campaign is the brainchild of U2 front-man, Bono, and Kennedy-cousin Bobby Shriver, who came together to create a brand with the sole purpose of raising funds and AIDS awareness in Africa.
“The idea is simple, the products are sexy and people live instead of die,” Bono said in a statement. “When you buy a (RED) product, the company gives money to buy pills that will keep someone in Africa alive.”
According to the (RED) website, up to 50 per cent of the profit made on a the sale of a (RED) t-shirt, Ipod or pair of shoes will go towards The Global Fund, which specifically helps buy drugs for African women and children living with HIV/AIDS.
For example if you buy a (RED) t-shirt from the Gap, at a cost of $28, half of the profit goes towards the cause.
With 60 per cent of people living with HIV/AIDS all over the globe living solely in Africa, and 5,500 of those dying on a daily basis, (RED) is calling the situation an emergency.
The campaign was launched alongside Bob Geldof's ONE initiative, which fights to make poverty a thing of the past in Africa and throughout the globe. Since it's inception in early 2006, (RED) has managed raise $10 million and has gained support through extensive ad campaigns, photo-ops and television appearances, even Myspace.com is onboard over the American Thanksgiving weekend, when the site will go red and video banners will support the message.
According to the (RED) site, the brackets around the brand are to represent “the embrace,” so each product will have the bracketed brand exposed. Such as the (RED) t-shirts at the Gap that have words like INSPI(RED) and SHA(RED) splashed across the front.
