One year ago, Gap launched their (Product) Red campaign, created to help prevent, care for and treat AIDS in Africa.
"Since launching last year, (Product) Red has contributed more than $45 million to the Global Fund to finance programs that help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa," said Marka Hansen, president of Gap North America.
This year, the company recruited new celebrities including actress Anne Hathaway, and Grammy Award winners, John Legend and Wyclef Jean for the new ads shot by acclaimed photographer, Annie Leibovitz. The campaign reintroduces a series of images that debuted this summer of Dixie Chick Natalie Maines, actor Terrence Howard and actress Abigail Breslin. Each celeb wore a Gap (PRODUCT) RED item in a way that expressed their personal style.
The ads will run in November issues of fashion magazines including Vanity Fair, Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Lucky, Marie Claire, GQ and Harper's Bazaar as well as in weekly magazines like US Weekly and Entertainment Weekly.
On October 5th, Gap also launched a limited edition T-shirt called “(2 WEEKS)†referring to the two weeks of antiretroviral (ARV) medicine in Africa that the sale of the shirts will support. The prices for the Gap Red collection range from $28 for a cotton t-shirt to $198 for a leather jacket. Half of the profits from the sales will go directly to the Global Fund to help finance AIDS programs in Africa. The collection is now available in selected Gap stores around the world as well as online.
Gap Goes Red For AIDS
Wyclef Jean, Anne Hathaway Promote
Trend Themes
1. Increased Corporate Social Responsibility - Gap's (Product)Red campaign has raised over $45 million to fund programs that help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa, showing the importance of corporate social responsibility in today's market.
2. Celebrity Brand Endorsements - Gap recruited celebrity ambassadors like Wyclef Jean, Anne Hathaway and Dixie Chick Natalie Maines to endorse their (Product)Red collection, suggesting the trend of branding campaigns around celebrities is on the rise.
3. Cause-related Marketing - Gap's (Product)Red campaign shows the potential benefits of cause-related marketing, as it allows companies to support meaningful causes while also creating a sense of purpose and loyalty in customers.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - Gap's (Product)Red campaign is a prominent example of how retailers can incorporate corporate social responsibility into their business model to make a positive impact on society while also increasing revenue.
2. Fashion - Gap's (Product)Red campaign is a clear example of how fashion brands can leverage celebrity endorsements, cause-related marketing, and corporate social responsibility to create a unique and impactful branding campaign.
3. Pharmaceuticals - Gap's (Product)Red campaign highlights the growing importance of pharmaceutical companies to focus not only on drug development but also on the overall social impact their business can have on society through supporting causes like the battle against HIV/AIDS.