Product Red

Product Red edition of theiPhone 14
Product type	Brand
Owner	Red (One Campaign)
Introduced	20 January 2006; 19 years ago (2006-01-20)
Markets	Worldwide
Website	red.org

Product Red^[a] is a licensedbrand by the companyRed^[b] that seeks to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds to help eliminateHIV/AIDS in eightAfrican countries, namelyEswatini,Ghana,Kenya,Lesotho,Rwanda,South Africa,Tanzania, andZambia.^[1] It is licensed to partner companies includingApple Inc.,Nike,American Express (UK),The Coca-Cola Company,Starbucks,Converse,Electronic Arts,Primark,Head, Buckaroo,Penguin Classics (UK & International),Gap,Armani,FIAT,Hallmark (US),SAP andBeats Electronics.

The concept was founded in 2006 byU2 frontman and activistBono, together withBobby Shriver of theOne Campaign andDATA.The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is the recipient of Product Red's money.

As part of a new business model, each partner company creates a product with the Product Red logo.^[2] In return for the opportunity to increase revenue through the Product Red license, up to 50%^{[clarification needed]} of profits gained by each partner is donated to the Global Fund.^{[3][needs update]} Such an amalgamation ofhumanitarian aid and for-profit businesses is one example of "ethical consumerism". In 2012, One Campaign acquired Red as a division of One.^[4] Both organizations were co-founded by Bono and Shriver.^[5]

Since 2020, Product Red has been used in the global fund to combat theCOVID-19 pandemic.

Created in 2006,the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria support large-scale prevention, treatment and care programs for these three infectious diseases.^[6] Today, 20 percent of all international funding for HIV/AIDS-related programs, 69 percent for tuberculosis, and 65 percent for malaria worldwide comes from the Global Fund.^[7] The concept of "performance-based funding" is central to the organization and only those grant recipients who can demonstrate measurable and effective results from the monies received will be able to receive continued financing.^[8] All of the funds generated by Red partners and events goes to Global Fund programs that provide medical care and support services for people affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. No overhead is taken by either Red or the Global Fund. Red is the largest private sector donor to the Global Fund, and has generated over $600 million for HIV programs in Africa as of July 2019.^[9] In November 2013,Jony Ive andMarc Newson hosted an auction atSotheby's to raise millions for the fund.^[10][11] The event was attended by major celebrities including Bono, The Edge, Hayden Panettiere, and Courtney Love.^[12]

Products include:^[13]

• Bugaboo International. A design company that makes pushchairs for infants and toddlers. Bugaboo contributes 1% of its total revenue to The Global Fund.^[14]
• American Express Red card. Launched in 2006. 1% of spending is donated to theGlobal Fund.^[15]
• Gap sells a line of merchandise including T-shirts, jackets, scarves, gloves, jewelry, bags, and purses. Gap donates 50% of all Product Red profits directly to the Global Fund.^[16]
• Converse is selling a shoe made from Africanmud cloth.^[17]
• Giorgio Armani has announced a line ofEmporio Armani products that include clothes, jewelry, perfume, and accessories. 40 percent of the gross profit goes to the Global Fund.^[18]
• Motorola has announced special editions of theirSlvr,Krzr andRazr mobile phones, with a 50% profit of each purchase going to the Global Fund.^[19]
• Canon released a version of their SD990 camera along with a leather case in 2008/2009. Only 500 were produced.
• The Independent newspaper is in partnership with Product Red. this partnership was launched in May 2006 by publishing a special issue of the newspaper and 50% of the revenue of this issue was donated to the Global Fund.^[20]
• The Hotel Café tour is presented byMySpace and Product Red.
• Apple Inc. released a special editioniPod Touch 5th generation with a Product Red theme. Subsequently, they have released several Product Red devices and accessories. On 29 October 2013, Apple created and donated a one-of-a-kind RedMac Pro computer which was auctioned bySotheby's at theRed Auction on 23 November 2013 for $977,000 (Sotheby's had estimated it would bring $40,000-60,000).^[21] A one-of-a-kind pair of solid gold Apple EarPods were auctioned for $461,000.^[22] Apple sold a Product RediPhone XR and claims to have donated almost $250 million to the Global Fund.^[23] The rediPhone 11, the rediPhone SE (2nd generation), the rediPhone 12, the rediPhone 13, the rediPhone SE (3rd generation), and the rediPhone 14 are also part of Product Red.
• Nike has released a special line of redshoelaces, with the profit going to the charity. Their motto is "Lace up, save lives."^[24]
• Hallmark has introduced greeting cards that are Product Red.^[25]
• In a partnership withMicrosoft,Dell announced that it would manufacture versions of its computers (XPS One, XPS M1530, and XPS M1330) that would come with a Product Red version ofWindows VistaUltimate preinstalled. The company also released a Product Red printer.^[26]
  • Microsoft would later release the Product Red version of Windows Vista Ultimate as a standalone product.^[27]
• Girl Skateboard Company released a two-part deck series with a Product Red graphic. A share of the profit goes to the charities.
• Starbucks participated during their 2008 holiday promotion. For every beverage bought on December 1 (World AIDS Day), 5 pennies went to Product Red. Starbucks also offers the Red Card, and donates five pennies every time the card is used.^[28]
• The Killers write a Christmas song every year, with the latest being "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and a compilation album of all their Christmas singles called "Don't Waste Your Wishes", in aid of Red. One hundred percent of profits are given to the charity.^[29]
• Monster Cable made special edition of Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD with name Solo HD Product Red.^[30][31]
• Carolina Bucci has created a special edition of her gold and silk Lucky bracelets. 50 percent of the profit goes directly to the Global Fund.^[32]
• Tourneau created two special edition watches, with 15% of the retail price contributed toThe Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.^[33]
• Belvedere vodka produces special edition Product Red bottles which is designed by South African Artist,Esther Mahlangu. A portion of the proceeds go to Product Red.^[34]
• Head produces special Red tennis bags as part of the Product Red project.^[35]
• In 2014,U2 released a charity single "Invisible", and a Super Bowl commercial to announce the partnership between Red andBank of America.^[36][37]
• In 2014, someiOS apps and/or games, such asPewDiePie's Tuber Simulator,Angry Birds,Cut the Rope 2,The Sims FreePlay andClash of Clans added a Red update for a limited time (November 24 – December 7), in which, the 100% of the money spent on the app or making an In-App Purchase will go to the Global Fund.^[38][39]
• In 2017,Amazon created a Red limited edition of the Echo speaker to support the Global Fund.^[40] In November 2020 a newer version of Echo Product Red was revealed.^[41]

This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2020)

Product Red has been widely criticized for not having an effect proportional to the advertising investment, for being much less efficient than direct charitable contribution,^[42] and for having a lack of transparency with regards to the amount of money going to charity as a percentage of every purchase. Some critics argue that a retail middleman between donor and charity is unnecessary; donors should just give.^[43]

For example, some argued that Gap's website encouraged consumption of the products, thus encouraging companies to use the product for publicity rather than social responsibility.^[44] While Product Red has helped give funds and attention to the problem, it does not form a relationship between the donors and recipients. Scholars argue that this sacrifices the purpose of movements such as Product Red.^[45] Jessica Wirgau, a professor at Virginia Tech stated, "Red not only misses the opportunity to promote civic engagement with its audience but also ... gives corporations the power to decide which causes should be supported and to what degree."^[45]

Another critique is that Product Red's expansion into traditional fundraising techniques, such as art auctions, undermines its claim to be a different and more sustainable approach to raising money for AIDS.^[46] Other critics have pointed out that its emphasis on funding treatment for AIDS sufferers meant that large amounts of the money will ultimately end up with pharmaceutical companies "unwilling to distribute their drugs for free".^[47] Many accuse the campaign of profiting by using diseases as a marketing vehicle,^[47] for being "cause branding" rather than corporate social responsibility.^[48] In theStanford Social Innovation Review, Mark Rosenman wrote that it was an "example of the corporate world aligning its operations with its central purpose of increasing shareholder profit, except this time it is being cloaked in the patina of philanthropy."^[49]

The National Labor Committee for Worker and Human Rights criticized Product Red for its links with Gap,^[50] which was historically a target of anti-sweatshop activists, althoughanti-sweatshop organizationLabour Behind the Label states that Gap has "come further than many"^[51] clothing companies to counter exploitation.^[52] Gap's Product Red clothes are made inLesotho rather than China, going beyond the requirements of Product Red. Labour Behind the Label criticized Product Red for not requiring more measures to protect the rights of the workers who make their products.^[51]

Data released in 2007 byAdvertising Age claimed retail participants in Product Red including Gap, Motorola and Apple had invested $100 million in advertising and raised only $18 million forThe Global Fund.^[42] In July 2010, however, Red claimed to have raised over $150 million.^[53]

In an attempt to combat the critics, particularly regarding Product Red's Transparency, around 2008, they implemented a calculator to show consumers how many doses of treatment would be received with the purchase of a Red Product.^[54] With this, some have stated that "the campaign offers the illusion of activism without requiring behavioral changes or political engagement". While these critics show that there are negative aspects of this program, they also state that "it finds a way to generate something positive out of the currently existent system".^[54]

• The Lazarus Effect
• Cause marketing
• The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

• Tim Weber (2006). "Bono bets on Red to battle Aids".BBC. Retrieved February 26, 2006.
• Motorola Press Release Retrieved May 15, 2006.

• Official website

• Organizations established in 2006
• 2012 mergers and acquisitions
• HIV/AIDS activism
• Organizations founded by Bono

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