Red iPod supports AIDS charity
Apple and others are selling red products to support a Bono-backed fund that fights AIDS in Africa. Photos: Nano Red
For every iPod Nano Red Special Edition sold, Apple will donate $10 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The company
The announcement of the iPod Nano Red is part of a cross-brand campaign called (Product) Red. Several companies are offering red products whose sale proceeds include a donation to the AIDS charity, which was established in 2002 with the support of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and other world leaders.
Friday marked the U.S. launch of the (Product) Red campaign. The campaign kicked off in the U.K. in January.
In addition to Apple's participation, Motorola is offering a red Razr cell phone, for example, while The Gap is selling a red leather jacket (modeled in newspaper ads by movie director Steven Spielberg), a red T-shirt and other items.
There are also Web sites such as (Blog) Red, a MySpace page, and a Flickr page that promote the charity project and offer information on AIDS in Africa.
Bono already had an existing relationship with Apple. The company has released two versions of the U2 Special Edition iPod, an iPod loaded with content recorded by Bono's band. Bono has also appeared in several commercials for iPods and iTunes.