Hallmark's (PRODUCT) RED Collection

In October 2007, Hallmark announced its partnership with Bono and Bobby Shriver's (RED) campaign to help raise awareness and funds for the Glob al Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa. The initial launch included holiday and everyday greeting cards, Cards With Sound, gift wrap, and a Hallmark Keepsake Ornament exclusively in Hallmark Gold Crown stores. In January 2008, the line was expended to include more than 150 products, which are available online.

While raising money for the Global Fund, the Hallmark (PRODUCT) RED collection has also created jobs and supported the local economy in Mali, West Africa. The Mali Mud Cloth Bag has generated jobs and income for 221 workers in the Malian cities of Bamako, Mopti, San, and Sevaré. In addition, it represents one of the largest export orders on record for artisan crafts in Mali. Two craftswomen share stories of how creating and exporting Mali Mud Cloth Bags for Hallmark has helped their business and families, but the story behind the bag isn’t the only inspiring story stemming from Hallmark’s relationship with (RED).

This story and others are now available on the YouTube (RED) video channel.

Antonella Barba looks good in Red too

Antonella Barba has chosen red in her outfit for the last night performance in the American Idol. We must say: it suits her perfect! She recently out-staged Britney Spears by generating bad publicity. However, girl with her charm and ambitions will reach some where...

We seriously doubt that she knows much about the Product (RED) and Bono's campaign to raise funds for humanitarian causes. Most probably the choice of color is just a coincidence, but it looks good on her and as Posh she must stick to it!

Fashionably Red Reminder

Now we can all get involved to help The Global Fund (Link) for Africa by buying the latest fashions, footwear and gadgets. This is the start of what is sure to become a RED revolution.
Red products (Link) are the latest must-have for any card-carrying fashionista with a hearth and soul. If you haven’t heard about it yet, you are sure to soon as the very audible Bono from U2 is the man behind the RED idea. He and Bobby Shriver, the Chairman of DATA – Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa – devised the shame to bring big business, iconic brands and the public together creating a sustainable channel of income for The Global Fund, an organization committed to raising money to stop AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa.
Companies were invited to develop products under the Red logo from which a percentage of the profit generated by the sales would go directly to The Global Fund.
Lucky for all, some of the best brands in the world have felt the charitable bug and developed some covetable products for us to buy. Gap (Link), American Express (Link), Converse, iPod (Link), Motorolla (Link), Armani (Link), Kenwood, Siemens, and many others have become involved in the cause, designing super-cool ranges accompanied by slick celebrity advertising campaigns.

The creation of this blog was inspired by the original Product (Red) .
Here we go describing and showing the red products available in Dubai with the hope that some of you folks will part with the hard earned cash in favor of The Global Fund.

The Facts:
The Global Fund was created in 2002 and has committed over AED 16.5 billion to lifesaving programs in 130 countries around the world.
Their projects support half a million people in AIDS treatments and provide medical services to half million children orphaned by AIDS.
They provide an AIDS education program to million of people annually.

The AIDS emergency:
3 million people in the world die from AIDS annually.
There are 40 million people infected by HIV/AIDS in the world.
25 million people infected with HV/AIDS leave in Africa, a continent which is home to around 10% of the world’s population.
Women are the fastest growing group of contractors and the result for their children is devastating.
An estimated 2000 children in Africa are infected with HV each day.
5 500 Africans die from AIDS each day.

Red IT

The blogosphere is still buzzing about the few week’s ago Oprah episode launching Bono’s (Red) campaign. Bono and the talk show queen took part in a shopping spree on North Michigan Avenue’s famed Magnificent Mile. And funny – they kept ‘bumping’ into celebrity friends like Kanye West and Christy Turlington.
Oh Oprah! The power of the O.
Now I have to give due credit to The It Lists !
Product Red project raises money for AIDS research by encouraging well-known companies like Apple, Armani, or Converse to release special products and donate a portion of the proceeds from those products toward the purchase of AIDS drugs for victims of the disease in Africa. So buy a t-shirt and change the world. Okay as cheeky as I’m being, I do admit feeling emotional as Bono story told about the woman selling the African mudcloth used for the (Red) Converse Chuck Taylors.
I guess the limited (Red) edition will be available at Apple Store at Ibn Baituta, if it reaches Dubai. Cute...........isn't it??