‘Oprah’ rolls out the RED carpet for duo
By MICHAEL J. TITTINGER Daily Press Staff Writer
CITYWIDE — With great power comes great responsibility.
Following years of lobbying governments worldwide to support the Global Fund — a public-private partnership dedicated to ridding Africa of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria — City Councilman Bobby Shriver and U2 frontman Bono are enabling Americans to support the cause by doing what many feel Americans do best — shopping.
The longtime friends, who met 20 years ago while working on the charity record “A Very Special Christmas,” will be among a slew of celebrities appearing today on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to celebrate the American launch of RED. In Santa Monica, shoppers will be made aware of the commercial venture — which filters money into the Global Fund — as early as today, with popular products such as Motorola cell phones, Gap jeans and Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers popping up in stores, signified by the RED branding.
On average,40 percent of the profits generated by sales in the participating stores will directly benefit afflicted men, women and children in developing nations, according to RED officials.
And for those short on cash, there’s even a RED credit card to get the philanthropy started.
“It’s just a way for all the people to help without saying ‘write a letter to your congressman,’” said Shriver, in Chicago for his TV appearance with Winfrey and Bono.“Just buy a T-shirt. This is a different way to do things.”
Working towards relief in Africa has been an eight-year journey to this point, according to Shriver, the chairman of DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), with the difference of today’s launch being the targeted demographic — the young private sector hounded by advertisers because of their expendable income and their appetites for new fashions, products and gadgets.
“The products are definitely targeted at a hipper, edgier person … a person who listens to U2 and wears Chuck Taylors. They’re the ones spending the money,” said RED spokesperson Tania Kingsrud. “We’re reaching out to the consumer who is not necessarily a philanthropist.
“They don’t have to do anything but keep on shopping.”
DRAWING THE RED LINE While the color red might have had a negative connotation a couple of decades ago, when the Soviet Union was still considered the most serious threat to national security, Shriver, Bono and company feel it’s an ideal fit for a line of products that represent healing the world of communicable diseases.
“Red is an emergency. AIDS is an emergency, and frankly, not everybody acts like it’s an emergency,” Shriver said this week. “I think now it has a sexy connotation. It’s a strong color, a powerful color to get people to think about the power they already have just by spending money. Just getting something like a cup of coffee from this person (a RED member business) as opposed to that person (a non-RED business) can actually be a significant thing.
“If we can get control of pricing power, we can buy a lot of medicine.”
Three million people die of AIDS each year. Of the 40 million people in the world infected with AIDS, some 25 million (or 60 percent) live in Africa, where it is the leading cause of death, according to the RED initiative’s web site, DATA was founded by Shriver and Bono in 2002 as a means of putting political pressure on world governments to tackle the key issues surrounding debt, AIDS and trade in Africa. The Global Fund was established the same year, and has since committed more than $5.2 billion to programs in 131 countries, accounting for a quarter of the world’s funding for AIDS relief in the developing world.
“We decided to get more of the private sector involved, and to do that we created a brand,” said Shriver. “The difference here, as opposed to other ventures, is how we communicate it to people.
“Let’s go shopping. It’s a fun idea.”
STAR POWER BEHIND LAUNCH Today’s episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” — taped on Thursday — promises to be stocked with popular singers, actors and personalities, all on board the RED movement and supporting the efforts of Shriver and Bono. On Tuesday, the councilman hinted that Winfrey and Bono would take to the streets of Chicago in a red convertible, stopping at stores along Michigan Avenue and not-so-coincidentally bumping into various celebs.
The Gap is also lending a measure of star power to the campaign, releasing an advertising campaign photographed by Annie Leibowitz and featuring the likes of singer Mary J. Blige; actors Don Cheadle, Jennifer Garner and Penelope Cruz; director Steven Spielberg; and comedian Chris Rock.
At the Gap store on the promenade Thursday, there was little evidence of the RED line of products about to be rolled out, but that’s due to change today. Shoppers, unaware of the brand, seemed to welcome the efforts of Shriver and Bono and looked forward to being able to make a difference by being stylish at the same time.
“It would make me feel good to know I’m buying things and also helping people,” said Sally Baron-Hay, 40, who was shopping at the Gap on Thursday after arriving in town from Sydney, Australia, for a conference.
Another shopper, Amy Powell, 52, planned to tape today’s episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
“It’s horrible what’s happening to these people in Africa. It’s so sad,” said Powell, of Pacific Palisades.“We’ve got to do something about AIDS. It’s absolutely horrible.
“It’s super important we get awareness out there,” she said. “And anything they (Bono and Shriver) do, I would support.”
“The Oprah Winfrey Show” airs locally at 3 p.m. on Channel 7.
Maya Meinert contributed to the reporting of this article.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 13, 2006. Read the original PDF.