The Product (RED) initiative was launched by Bono at Davos in 2006. Product RED is (a brand created to raise awareness and money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by teaming up with iconic brands to produce RED-branded products'. With the engagement of American Express, Apple, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark and Motorola, consumers con help HIV/AIDS patients in Africa. They can do so simply by shopping, as a percentage of profits from Product (RED) lines goes to support the Global Fund. In this article we examine how the corporations that are part of this initiative use RED to build up their brand profiles, seil products and/or portray themselves as both 'caring' and 'cool'. We also show that, more thon simply being another example of cause-related marketing (like the pink ribbon campaign or the ubiquitous plastic armbands), RED engages corporations in profitable (helping while simultaneously pushing the agenda of corporate social responsibility (CSR) towards solving the problems of 'distant others'.
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