Red Amex is the New Platinum: American Express Red Card for AIDS

A New American Express credit card is bright red and sexy.  The Sexy Amex RED card provides 1% of all proceeds go towards fighting AIDS.

From Reuters
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Rock star Bono joined three leading fashion groups and American Express on Thursday to launch Product Red, an ambitious branding and fund-raising effort with the declared aim of beating AIDS.

“This is really sexy to me. It is sexy to want to change the world,” said Irish singer Bono, holding aloft a new Amex ‘Red Card’ whose reverse side carries the statement: “This card is designed to eliminate HIV in Africa.”

One percent of money that customers spend with the card will go to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which supports nearly half a million people on AIDS treatment and a similar number of children orphaned by the disease.

From The Washington Post:
The project includes red-theme products from American Express, Converse footwear, Gap clothing and Giorgio Armani. A red American Express card will be offered initially only in Britain, as of next month.

Products branded Red will include sports shoes, T-shirts and sunglasses _ some produced in Africa, some with African materials. A slice of the revenue _ numbers vary by company and product _ will go to the Global Fund.

“I’m calling it conscious commerce for people who are awake, people who think about their spending power and say: `I’ve got two jeans I can buy. One I know is made in Africa and is going to make a difference and the other isn’t. What am I going to buy?’” Bono said.

From the AMEX Red Card Website: American Express Product RED
We’re a founding member of RED because we’re convinced it makes good business sense.  We support an ethical initiative which encourages consumers to make a positive impact in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa. There’s no other initiative currently working with private enterprise on this scale to help deliver change.

We’re also committed to coming up with exciting and new products for our Cardmembers and offering them opportunities to get involved in new and innovative ideas. That’s why we’ve created American Express® RED.

The easy way to do the RED thing. It couldn’t be simpler. You don’t have to make any extra effort to make a difference, because American Express RED is designed to make it simple for you to give everytime you spend. The only effort you have to make is to use American Express RED when making your everyday purchases. Not only are you doing good every time you spend, you’ll also benefit from these great features.

AMEX Product RED Credit Card Page

From the Global Fund Press Release:

THE GLOBAL FUND WELCOMES PRODUCT RED - 26 January 2006

New, Innovative Private Sector Initiative Will Increase Global Fund Resources and Improve Knowledge About the Global Fund Among Consumers

Davos – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria warmly welcomes the announcement here today of a new corporate initiative to create a sustainable and profitable brand – Product RED – which will raise funds for and awareness of the Global Fund and the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa.

It is the first time that the world’s leading companies have made a commitment to channel a percentage of profits from popular consumer products to assist in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which kills three million people every year. The money generated by the sale of RED products will support Global Fund-financed programs which positively impact the lives of women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.

“By making socially responsible consumption appealing to consumers and profitable for companies, RED is pioneering a sustainable model for the involvement of the private sector in the fight against disease and poverty”, said Dr Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “RED is not a charity or public fundraising campaign. It is a business proposition that brings together partners with distinct priorities into a mutually beneficial relationship. Companies expand their customer base and bottom-line by combining their products with a brand that is both culturally significant and compassionate, while the Global Fund and its recipients gain not only critical financial resources but also publicity for their work. As a result, RED has the potential to be larger and more sustainable than other private sector fundraising initiatives to date.”

www.theglobalfund.org