Observer photo by Keosha Johnson
American University student Ashanti Nicole Smith made a contribution towards fighting AIDS in Africa by buying a Sprint Product Red phone.

Is Product Red just the latest fad in charitable fashion or a sign of social activism?

by KEOSHA JOHNSON

Seeing red?

This vibrant color is back on the scene, becoming the new pink in fashion thanks to the new Product Red campaign, which lets consumers buy products from companies that will donate a portion of their earnings to provide medicine to Africans living with AIDS.

Students on campus have picked up on the innovative trend, buying Red products such as the red MOTORAZR cell phone and Apple’s special edition red iPod Nano.

“I bought the phone mostly because of the AIDS factor,” said Ashanti Smith, a senior in the School of Public Affairs. “It also helps that my favorite color is red.”

Toushi Itoka, a senior in the School of International Service, said she first learned about Product Red from a television commercial featuring Kanye West. Itoka said she bought her red iPod Nano mostly because of the donation that would go toward fighting AIDS in Africa.

“I’d buy it if it were any other color because of the purpose,” said Itoka. “It came out at a really good time for a really good purpose.”

But while Itoka is happy with her latest red accessory, she said she felt “somewhat manipulated because they’re preying on people’s sentimentality.”

Although Red products are prominently displayed at Gap stores, not all students are willing to buy any item just to help the cause.

“I saw a Red T-shirt at Gap for $50, and I would not buy that,” said Smith. But I would get cheaper stuff because I can afford it,” said Smith.

In terms of marketing, just the fact that Red launched through consumerism makes it clear they wanted to get the most money, said Smith.

Product Red’s “mission statement” describes its reasoning behind the concept on their Web site: “as first world consumers, we have tremendous power. What we collectively choose to buy, or not to buy, can change the course of life and history on this planet.”

Product Red, a trademark of The Persuaders, LLC, does its good deed by forming partnerships with consumer-based companies. Consumers have been snatching up the latest Red products, such as Apple’s iPod Nano Product Red Special Edition, Motorola’s Red MOTORAZR and MOTOSLVR cell phones and Gap’s Product Red clothing and accessory line for men and women.

Celebrities have also caught on to the Red craze by posing in ads for Red Gap products. Penelope Cruz, Dakota Fanning and Don Cheadle have all posed in Gap’s Red clothing.

“Gap is proud to be a partner of Product Red and we are truly honored to be a part of something as critical as eradicating AIDS in Africa,” said Cynthia Harriss, president of Gap Brand North America, in a press release on the Gap Inc. Web site. Other private corporations with Red products include Converse, American Express and Emporio Armani.

The Red initiative was started in 2006 by singer Bono from U2 and Bobby Shriver. According to the Red Web site, Red is not a charity, but is an “economic initiative” to get money from the private sector into The Global Fund, an organization aimed at fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Product Red is an example of the continuing merge of charity and mainstream consumerism. It was not that long ago that old and young alike wore yellow and pink plastic bracelets in support of breast cancer and cancer research.

“I think that raising money through creative means that gain more publicity for the foundation is positive because it allows the people that need to get help to get more money,” said Chasity Davis, a senior in Kogod School of Business.

“However, it’s only positive if compensation and profits are not abused by partnering corporations due to this increase in publicity,” said Davis.

Since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, charity seems to be at the forefront of Americans’ minds, and it looks like this more globally-aware mindset will not be changing anytime soon.