Philanthropy: Shop (In The Name Of Love)

tink we may be able to get RED products in SG too. been following tis range since its debut in UK. i like the concept of sustainable charity

October 02, 2006

Get ready for RED. Bono, along with Bobby Shriver of the Kennedy clan, is bringing Product RED -- his conscious-consumer campaign -- to the U.S. in mid-October.

Judging by RED's success in Britain, where the cause-related marketing venture has become chic among millennials and hip "influencers," consumers will soon be seeing RED everywhere.

In Britain a red American Express card, which reads "This card designed to help eliminate HIV/AIDS in Africa," now carries more cachet than the elite Black card.

So far this year, Britain's RED campaign has generated $5.2 million for the Global Fund.

Here in the U.S., RED is teaming up with iconic names to pump out some cool, co-branded products -- including Motorola phones, Converse sneakers, Gap T-shirts, and the wraparound Emporio Armani sunglasses that Bono wore during U2's last world tour. Consumers buying the items are ensuring that up to 50% of the profits will go to the Global Fund, which fights AIDS in Africa.

RED is emblematic of the new philanthropy, which is less about handouts and more about hybrid models that mix profits with solving social problems. (Think Omidyar Network, the venture-capital-like foundation of eBay's Pierre Omidyar, and Google's for-profit charity.) With RED, companies looking to bond with consumers in an age of split-screen attention spans also get the benefit of Brand Bono.