Some of you may have noticed the "INSPI(RED)" banner in the upper right corner of this page, but probably had no idea what it was for or what it meant. Or you may have visited our MySpace page, www.myspace.com/actionisnecessary, and saw the background with the (RED) theme and wondered, "What is it?"
[(RED) is] a business model designed to create awareness and a sustainable flow of money from the private sector into the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Consumers buy (PRODUCT) RED, and at no cost to them, money is sent directly to the Global Fund, an international financing insitution that invests global monies in the fight against AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
This initiative was first announced in 2006 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. It was created by U2 frontman Bono and Bobby Shriver to further engage the private sector against the global fight against AIDS in Africa. After they worked together to set up DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) to secure cash flow from the public sector to the Global fund, they saw the need for increased private funding.
Here's how (RED) works:
Established brands partner with us and license the (PRODUCT) RED mark to create (PRODUCT) RED products and services. (PRODUCT) RED partners send a portion of the profits made on (PRODUCT) RED products directly to the Global Fund, to fight AIDS in Africa. The consumer does not pay extra for this. (RED) never handles this money – it is sent directly to the Global Fund.
A licensing fee for use of the (PRODUCT) RED mark is charged to manage and market the (RED) brand. This fee is paid by (PRODUCT) RED partners, and does not infringe on the amount of money they send to the Global Fund via sales of (PRODUCT) RED items.
As you can probably tell from the pictures, many well-known brand names have signed on to partner with (PRODUCT) RED including: American Express (UK only), Apple, Dell, Emporio Armani, Gap, and Starbucks. It's also important to note that these brands have not made the (RED) products more expensive than their regular items. So it's of no real extra cost to you to purchase a Gap shirt as compared to an ordinary shirt from their rack. The companies pay the extra to be in partnership, but they don't transfer the cost to you. So if you are a patron for any of these brands, it doesn't hurt to purchase a (PRODUCT) RED product. While getting a great fashionable item or accessory, you'll be able to donate to the Global Fund to continue the fight against AIDS and help to save lives.
Interested in learning more about (RED) and where to get (PRODUCT) RED items? Visit www.joinred.com or check them out on MySpace at www.myspace.com/joinred.
Source: (RED)
