Go Red!
We are all aware of the hardship faced by many
millions of people living in underdeveloped nations all around the globe, but
most of us still find it difficult to make donations to charities aimed at
minimising these problems. This mostly stems from the fact that, although if
possible we would all love to make a difference, the reality is, that when
you’re a student struggling to cope with the ever-growing pile of homework and
a part time job on the side, the spare cash you earn quickly disappears; whether
in the form of new clothes and CD’s from your last shopping trip or from the
great evening you had last weekend with your friends. Although when faced with
the issues of AIDS and malnutrition, we all would jump at the opportunity help,
the spare change lingering at the bottom of our wallet doesn’t seem enough to
really make a difference…so we don’t bother.
But thankfully all this has changed, and now my
fellow pupils we no longer have an excuse. I am introducing you to the
brilliant new business concept of (Product) Red.
This is the new worldwide brand launched by U2
front man Bono, to raise funds to fight against AIDS in
Many celebrities have decided to back this
campaign as they have realised what a great moneymaking venture it is. These
include Bono, Bobby Shriver, Beyoncé, Leonardo Di Caprio, Alicia Keys, Clive
Owen, Ashley Judd, Samuel.L.Jackson, Gisele and many
more.
For people who are not familiar with the Global
Fund, it is a totally unique partnership of non-profit organizations,
governments and the private sector, which accounts for a quarter of the world’s
funding for AIDS programs. Its only objective is to donate money and make
grants to countries, organisations and communities that desperately need
financial backing in order to respond to the growing number of epidemics in
The whole concept of (Product) Red is to make
donating money to charity effortless, which is essentially its appeal and
charm. When Georgio Armani was interviewed at the
launch he said “An ordinary person can simply walk into a shop and feel that
they can help the needy by simply buying a perfume. Cynically I would add,
without us changing the price”. I find it truly amazing that whilst shopping,
and buying clothing that you like, you can have the feel good factor of knowing
that a proportion of the money that you have spent will go towards helping
people suffering from three of the world’s most devastating diseases.
As previously mentioned many iconic brands have
joined (Product) Red.
One of the
major contributors has to be American Express. If you own an American Express
RED, every time you use your card 1% of your total spend will go to the Global
Fund. This means that the more you spend, the more American Express contributes
to the Global Fund!
For anyone who may be planning on upgrading their phones
soon, then a great way of contributing to the cause and having a sophisticated
up-to-date mobile would be to buy the new red Motoslvr
by Motorola. With this product, a percentage of the profits from each phone
sale and a portion of your normal charges for your phone use (call time and
texts), will both go towards the Global Fund. Finally everyone now has the
perfect excuse to call and text their friends!
Emporio Armani has also joined the battle to prevent AIDS in
Another well known brand, Converse, has collaborated with
Chuck Taylor to design their first product; the All Star African Mudcloth shoe, which is set to be the most collectable
fashion item this season as only 600 pairs are available. 10% of net wholesale
sales from this particular collaboration will be donated to the Global Fund. In
addition Converse aim to produce a series of exclusively designed (RED) shoes
every season, by working in partnership with designs, musicians, artists and
filmmakers; thus providing the Global Fund with anywhere between 5%-15% of
their net sales.
But for those of us who have limited funds that cannot
stretch to designer sunglasses or a new phone, there is another alternative.
Gap are also a major contributor to this cause, launching many new (Product)
Red designs of clothing for a wider majority of the public market. Their first
(RED) Product is the ‘vintage look’ Gap T-shirt designed for both women and
men, modestly priced at £14.50. In keeping with the theme, it is made from 100%
African cotton and comes in a wide range of colours (not just red!). As well as
this they have also joined forces with famous designer Roland Mouret, producing a collection of ten dresses priced from between
£45-£78 which is much more affordable to the general public. 50% of the profits
from these products will go straight to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS
in
The manifesto that all these spokespeople and
companies have been working by stems from a very simple but powerful concept, “All
things being equal, they are not”. The general aim is for people to use/buy
(RED) products, so that the companies will donate some of their profits to the
Global Fund. If the product meets the customer’s needs and they are made aware
of the money being given, then they should choose to buy (RED) again. This
means that if people choose to buy (RED) over non-(RED), then more companies
will choose to join the franchise, in turn saving more lives.
I personally believe that this is the most
innovative and potentially ground braking business models ever created, centred
at giving aid to the people in the country that needs it the most. It is like
no organisation around. Just imagine, if you owned a
(RED) phone, every single text you send will help people suffering from these
terrible diseases. In the end, you would not even have to think about donating
money as you would be unconsciously giving money to the cause every single day.
Or every time you need a new top or a dress for a night out, money would
automatically go to these truly desperate people if you chose to shop at Gap.
Would you be willing to help, by simply upgrading your choice?
By Vicki
Evans