Bono's Product (RED) Initiative: Corporate Social Responsibility that solves the problems of ‘distant others’New article in Third World QuarterlyBono's Product (RED) Initiative: Corporate social responsibility that solves the problems of ‘distant others’ Third World Quarterly, 30(2): 301–317, 2009 By Stefano Ponte, Lisa Ann Richey and Mike Baab Abstract The Product (RED) initiative was launched by Bono at Davos in 2006. Product RED is 'a brand created to raise awareness and money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by teaming up with iconic brands to produce RED-branded products'. With the engagement of American Express, Apple, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark and Motorola, consumers can help HIV/AIDS patients in Africa. They can do so simply by shopping, as a percentage of profits from Product (RED) lines goes to support the Global Fund. In this article we examine how the corporations that are part of this initiative use RED to build up their brand profiles, sell products and/or portray themselves as both 'caring' and 'cool'. We also show that, more than simply being another example of cause-related marketing (like the pink ribbon campaign or the ubiquitous plastic armbands), RED engages corporations in profitable 'helping' while simultaneously pushing the agenda of corporate social responsibility (CSR) towards solving the problems of 'distant others'. Stefano Ponte is Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS); Lisa Ann Richey is Associate Professor at the Department for Society and Globalisation, Roskilde University; Mike Baab is Human Rights Analyst at the Danish Institute for Human Rights. |
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