Product Red Stories December 1, 2020
Earlier today Apple reinforced its partnership with the PRODUCT(RED) campaign by announcing that 100% of the eligible proceeds from its (RED) devices and accessories will be redirected to the Global Fund’s COVID‑19 relief efforts. Now the company has also announced that it will donate $1 for every purchase made in its store with Apple Pay.
Product Red Stories December 30, 2019
Apple may be planning to launch the first PRODUCT (RED) Apple Watch as soon as spring 2020 according to a new report from WatchGeneration. The product was spotted as it showed up briefly in an Apple database.
Product Red Stories November 29, 2018
As noted by Apple’s product marketing VP, Greg Joswiak, in an interview with CNET yesterday, Apple is gearing up to support World AIDS day next month. Now, Apple has shared an in-depth post on those who are working to end AIDS first-hand along with some more details about how it has helped with PRODUCT(RED).
Product Red Stories April 26, 2017
Review: Olixar X-Trio Full Cover gives your iPhone 7 the red look for cheap
The new Product (RED) iPhone 7 is cool, and supporting charity by buying Product (RED) products, even better. But buying a new iPhone 7 mid-year ahead of what’s expected to be the biggest update in a while with iPhone 8 this fall; not such a great idea. So as an alternative to red iPhone mania, Olixar sent over its X-Trio Full Cover case that does a pretty good job of giving your iPhone a similar look on the cheap (white front not included). I’ve been using it for several weeks and I really like it.
Product Red Stories March 22, 2017
Taiwanese site (left) versus Chinese site (right)
Update 2: When asked, CEO Tim Cook reportedly said “We donate to the Global Fund on every iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus we sell in every country in the world,” suggesting Apple is still donating funds from red iPhones sold in China.
Update: Some are suggesting the move may be because recent changes in the law prevent businesses selling products which use a charity branding to help drive sales. If this theory is correct, this could also mean that red iPhones sold in China will not raise money for (RED).
Apple’s announcement of a red iPhone 7/Plus yesterday wasn’t just notable for the introduction of a mid-cycle color option, but also because it represented the company’s greatest ever support for the AIDS-fighting charity (RED).
Tim Cook said yesterday it was in celebration of ten years’ partnership with the charity, and the PRODUCT(RED) branding was prominent on the homepage of its websites around the world – except in China, that is …
Product Red Stories January 20, 2016
Jony Ive reflects on a decade of Bono’s Product RED campaign to combat HIV/AIDS
Bono’s Product RED campaign to fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa has partnered with Apple for so long that you could easily mistake it as an Apple-created initiative, and this year the effort turns 10 years old with more than $350 million raised according to the Financial Times. In marking the decade-long effort to raise awareness and eliminate the virus/disease, FT highlighted Apple’s roots in the campaign:
The late Steve Jobs was involved with Red, designing and selling a Red-branded iPod. Apple has maintained its connection since Jobs’ death in 2011. Two years ago, Sir Jonathan Ive, Apple’s chief design officer, and his colleague Marc Newson, ran an auction of specially designed products, including a Leica Digital Rangefinder camera the pair customised, which sold for $1.8m. The auction raised $13m for Red, matched by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Apple’s design chief Jony Ive shared his take in the piece on how Product RED has had a humanitarian reach, challenging the idea of any corporate effect.
Does Sir Jonathan think Red affected how companies think of corporate social responsibility? He demurs. “I’m much more interested in how a mother feels whose daughter is still alive than whether Red has had an impact on other companies.”
He adds: “The thing that first struck me was that the magnitude and ugliness of the problem would normally be cause for people to turn away. I loved the way Bono saw it as a problem to be solved.”
You can read the full piece on a decade of Bono’s Product RED campaign here.
Product Red Stories December 1, 2015
Add a World AIDS Day geofilter to a Snapchat photo today to help (RED) raise $3M from Bill Gates
Add a World AIDS Day sticker – or geofilter – to a Snapchat photo today, and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will donate $3 to (RED). The LA Times reports that it hopes to raise as much as $3M from the initiative – something that could be achieved if just 1% of Snapchat users joined in.
You can also raise $3 by sharing a themed video clip on Instagram.
If you’re willing to part with a little cash, donating to the cause will buy you entry into one or more of a range of competitions with prizes like a bike ride through Central Park with Bono, a trip to the Games of Thrones set and meeting Snoop, Jimmy Kimmel, George Clooney, Matt Damon and more.
Apple is also joining in, with an iPhone 6s leather case in (what else) red.
Via Engadget
Product Red Stories November 30, 2015
Apple iPhone 6s Leather Case now available in (PRODUCT)RED
Apple has today released a (PRODUCT)RED version of its iPhone 6s Leather Case, available to buy now from Apple.com with Wednesday shipping. The omission of the color was odd back in September, as the Silicone Case was offered in (PRODUCT)Red since the iPhone 6s launch. Apple has just about got stock of the item in time for the holidays, if you still happen to be hunting for an official red iPhone case (there are plenty of third-party red iPhone cases available).
Product Red Stories September 9, 2015
9to5Mac has been reporting that Apple was planning some cosmetic updates to the Apple Watch, including new Sport bands and a gold aluminum Apple Watch Sport, for some time. A few hours ahead of Apple’s event, an image has appeared on Twitter depicting what appears to be a Product (RED) Apple Watch Sport band. To date, Apple has offered Apple Watch Sport bands in white, black, green, blue and pink.
Although Apple is supportive of the charity, the Apple Watch notably debuted without any Product (RED) affiliation. This appears to be changing today …
Product Red Stories December 2, 2014
Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted a couple of photos of a visit yesterday to the Apple Store in Georgetown, Washington DC, to help promote World AIDS Day. He was accompanied by (RED) CEO Deborah Dugan, who tweeted a couple of additional photos from the visit (show below) … expand full story
Product Red Stories November 27, 2014
While Apple Store customers in the U.S. can look forward to gift cards on selected purchases on Black Friday, it seems European customers may be missing out. Apple last year offered its European customers discounted pricing rather than gift cards, but rumors – including from the usually reliable MacG – say that there will be neither cards nor discounts this year … expand full story
Product Red Stories November 24, 2014
Apple announced last night its campaign to support World AIDS Day 2014 with a series of App Store promotions and plans to donate a portion of Apple Store sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday to the Global Fund to support the fight against AIDS. Specifically for November 28th, or Black Friday, Apple shared that select Apple products will include a special edition (RED) iTunes gift care with a percentage going toward the Global Fund, and now we know exactly which products will qualify for Apple’s (RED) promotion on Black Friday.
Supported products include the iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, and iPhone 5c as well as each iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Air 2 which will include a $50 iTunes gift card (as well as the donation). Customers picking up an iMac, Retina iMac, MacBook Pro, Retina MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air will receive a $100 iTunes gift card. Finally, Apple will include a $25 iTunes gift card with the purchase of an iPod nano, iPod touch, Apple TV, or Beats headphones or speakers.
While it’s nice to see Apple use the Black Friday shopping event to promote (RED), its deals are admittedly less charitable than some other retailers if you’re trying to save some actual cash on your Apple or Beats purchases rather than picking up credit for iTunes or the App Store.
Product Red Stories July 1, 2014
Apple’s new & cheaper 16GB iPod touch with rear camera goes international
Apple has launched the cheaper 16GB version of the iPod touch with a 5 megapixel iSight camera internationally. The new iPod also comes in the same Space Gray, Silver, Pink, Yellow, Blue, and (Product) RED models as the 32GB and 64GB configurations. The new 16GB player first launched in the United States last week, but today marks the first time that the units are available at Apple’s sales channels across the world. The pricing of the 16GB iPod touch is now local equivalents to $199, which is a reduction from $229. The device is shipping within 24 hours from several online stores, including the ones for the U.K., France, Italy, and Germany.
Product Red Stories June 25, 2014
Bono, Shane Smith, and Jony Ive at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Cannes.Lions.Festival.of.Creativity/photos/a.10153429012248539.1073741859.62629358538/10153445276373539/?type=3&permPage=1" target="_blank">Cannes Lions Festival</a>
Earlier this week, we noted Apple SVP of Design Jony Ive and U2 pop star Bono made a joint appearance at the Cannes Lions Festival to discuss Apple and Product Red’s partnership in raising funds for AIDS/HIV programs in Africa. During that appearance, Bono pointed out with Jony Ive on stage that Apple does not prominently display the Product Red logo on the products that support the effort, according to AdWeek’s account of the event (the full video has not been made available and the clip showing Bono relaying another story on Steve Jobs has since been made private):
“Where’s the (Red) branding?” he asked Ive. “Nobody can see that. This is modesty run amok. This is the Apple way. They’re like a religious cult.”
Bono began that bit saying that Apple is “f*cking annoyingly quiet about the fact they’ve raised $75 million.” Product Red followed up today on Bono’s position, though, toning down the nature of Bono’s comments in a blog post thanking Apple for its partnership and the success of Product Red: expand full story
Product Red Stories June 23, 2014
Jony Ive presenting Bono with Cannes LionHeart Award
Apple’s SVP of Design Jony Ive joined U2 pop star and activist Bono in a joint interview over the weekend at the Cannes Lions Festival to discuss Product Red and Apple’s partnership as we previously mentioned. Product Red, of course, partners with brands to raise money to fund AID/HIV programs in Africa, and Apple has long supported the effort with a number of Red-branded products including iPhone and iPad cases as well as iPods and iPod touches.
As part of the festival, Jony Ive presented Bono with the first Cannes LionHeart Award to honor his work with Product Red as you can see above. During the discussion segment of their appearance, Bono shared his account of working with Steve Jobs when establishing the Product Red partnership with Apple and Jobs’ desire to control the Product Red branding right down to the parentheses in the Product Red logo… expand full story
Product Red Stories February 19, 2014
Square and (RED) team up for special edition card reader to fight AIDS
Mobile payments company Square is teaming up with Bono’s Product RED organization for a special edition credit card reader that benefits charity. Square has become one of the leaders in processing credit card payments on mobile devices with a small credit card reader available for iPhone and iPad as well as point-of-sale software and hardware kits for merchants. The special SQUA(RED) Reader will be available for a $10 donation with 97.25% of the amount going directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. Customers swiping their cards will also get the opportunity to donate through a link on their emailed receipts:
The impact doesn’t end there. When you swipe (RED), your customers can donate right from their emailed receipts to help deliver an AIDS FREE GENERATION. Every swipe can make a difference.
Last year the official (Product) RED Twitter account revealed that Apple’s contributions to the charity had reached $65 million, making it the largest contributor out of all participating companies. Apple currently sells red versions of the iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod touch, iPad Smart Cover, and iPhone 4S bumper under the (PRODUCT)RED branding and donates a portion of profits to the charity. Most recently, Apple design guru Jony Ive and designer friend Marc Newson teamed up to assemble a one-of-a-kind collection to auction off for the charity.
Product Red Stories February 4, 2014
Free iTunes downloads of U2’s ‘Invisible’ net $3 million to support (RED) AIDS work
In less than 2 days, over 3 million iTunes users downloaded U2’s newest single, Invisible, for free, which helped push Bank Of America’s donation to the Global Fund past $3 million. The song was downloaded more than 1 million times in just the first hour after the commercial originally ran.
Truly showcasing the reach of a Super Bowl ad, these staggering results dwarfed Bank Of America’s initial pledge of up to $2 million. Starting today, ‘Invisible’ will be available for $1.29 on iTunes with all proceeds going to support the fight against AIDS.
Product Red Stories November 23, 2013
The one of a kind, special edition red Mac Pro designed by Jony Ive and Marc Newson brought in a whopping $977k at Sotheby’s (RED) Auction this evening in New York. The custom Mac was estimated to sell for $40-60,000, but ended up fetching quite a bit more than its value, as did the majority of the other items sold at the charity auction. Recently, Ive and Newson shared their thoughts on the auction and design in an interview on Charlie Rose.
Product Red Stories November 16, 2013
Apple once again teams up with The Global Fund to offer an exclusive iTunes album
Apple has opened pre-orders on a new exclusive album on the iTunes Store, titled “Dance (RED) Save Lives, Vol. 2”. The album, which is expected to debut on November 25th, is in support of the Global Fund, with 100% of proceeds being donated to the cause. Apple promoted Volume 1 of the album last year, with proceeds benefiting the same cause.
Notable artists who have tracks featured on the album include Katy Perry, Coldplay, Robin Thicke, and Calvin Harris. While you can’t purchase the entire album today, a single from the album, “Celebrate,” is available when you pre-order.
Apple has a long relationship with the (PRODUCT)RED organization, recently working with designer Marc Newson to create several products, including a red Mac Pro, to be auctioned off at an upcoming event in support of the cause on November 23rd.
Product Red Stories October 25, 2013
We’ve been posting images of various items designed by Apple’s Senior Vice President of Design Jony Ive and designer & friend Marc Newson for an upcoming (Product) RED charity auction scheduled for November 23 at Sotheby’s New York. The latest was an aluminium Leica M camera designed by the pair, and today we get a look at a one-of-a-kind red next-generation Mac Pro listed on the Sotheby’s website.
The red Mac Pro is expected to bring in 40,000 — 60,000 USD at the auction. While there is no mention of specs for the machine, compare that with $2999 for the base model of the new Mac Pro that Apple announced earlier this week will begin shipping in December. That model includes a a 3.7GHz quad-core Xeon processor, 12GB of DRAM, Dual FirePro D300 graphics, 2GB VRAM each, and a 256GB 22D, and Apple has a $3999 configuration with a 6-core 3.5GHz Intel Xeon E5, Dual AMD FirePro D500, and 16GB of ECC memory.
Other items designed by Ive and Newson set to be auctioned off on November 23rd include an aluminium desk produced by Neal Feay Studios, a Steinway & Sons Parlor Grand Piano, a 2012 Range Rover, and the rose gold Apple EarPods. Full gallery of the red Mac Pro below. expand full story
Product Red Stories October 11, 2013
Following the interview in which Jony Ives and Marc Newson talked about their collaborative design of the one-off Leica M camera for the (RED) charity auction, the one-of-a-kind desk designed by the two has also been unveiled.
As you might expect, it’s made from machined aluminum, fabricated by renowned aluminum specialists Neal Feay Studio. The design is, though, not quite as minimalist as I’d expected, featuring a mosaic pattern on its surface. More photos below the fold …
Product Red Stories October 10, 2013
Earlier this week, we reported on some details and photos of the one-off Leica camera designed by Apple’s Jony Ive and Marc Newson for the Product(RED) campaign. Leica originally shared some interesting tidbits about the functionality and development process of the camera, but now, Vanity Fair has published an extensive interview with Ive and Newson about the process. The report provides an interesting look into Apple PR’s process of organizing interviews of its executives: expand full story
Product Red Stories October 8, 2013
Last month we reported that Apple’s Senior Vice President of Design Jony Ive had teamed up with designer & friend Marc Newson to create one of a kind pieces for Bono’s (Product) RED charity auction scheduled for November 23 at Sotheby’s New York. Those pieces included one-of-a-kind 18k sold rose gold Apple EarPods, and Steinway & Sons piano, and other unique items designed by the pair. Today we get a look at another beautifully designed product set to go up for auction next month.
In the gallery below we get a look at the gorgeous aluminum Leica M for (RED) designed by Ive and Newson that features “a laser machined aluminum body and an anodized aluminum outer shell.” The one of a kind camera took 85 days to create with the team going through 561 models and nearly 1000 prototype parts: expand full story
Product Red Stories September 26, 2013
Apple’s (PRODUCT)RED contributions have reached over $65 million
Apple has contributed to Bono’s (PRODUCT)RED charity for quite sometime by donating a portion of profits from sales of special red editions of iOS devices and accessories. Today, the official PRODUCT(RED) Twitter account (via TheLoop) revealed that Apple’s contributions to fighting AIDS through the charity have now topped $65 million, making it the largest contributor to the charity out of all participating companies.
U2 singer Bono, who cofounded the charity back in 2006, commented that “Apple is certainly leading the crew” when it comes to donations from (PRODUCT)RED partners.
Apple currently sells red versions of the iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod touch, iPad Smart Cover, and iPhone 4S bumper under the (PRODUCT)RED branding.
