Being Well (RED)

Dance around with this, and help fight AIDS in Africa. Cool.

So, first off I was just going to blog about the nifty new fire-engine RED Apple Nano that’s out as part of the big, global AIDS-fighting (RED) initiative. You buy one of the new Nanos and $10 of your purchase goes directly to fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Which is cool.

But then, of course, I went to the website for the Nano and then linked to the big main website for the (RED) Products, their blog about the work this organization is doing to fight AIDS, all the celebs involved, all the big brands involved (Gap, Converse, Motorola, American Express, Apple, Emporio Armani) and it’s pretty major. And remember that big free Scissor Sisters concert in London’s Trafalgar Square a few weeks back? That was a big promotion (via Motorola) to boost the (RED) profile in the U.K. This (RED) global initiative is everywhere. And it’s pretty cool. A lot of big companies that you already patronize are pitching in to fight AIDS in Africa.

To give you some basics, here’s some text from the (RED) Manifesto to break it down for you.

“If you buy a (RED) product or sign up for a (RED) service, at no cost to you, a (RED) company will give some of its profits to buy and distribute anti-retroviral medicine to our brothers and sisters dying of AIDS in Africa.

“You buy the (RED) stuff. We get the money, buy the pills and distribute them. They take the pills, stay alive, and continue to take care of their families and contribute socially and economically in their communities.”

Pretty cool, right? You can go here and read the whole manifesto. And, like I said, there’s also a blog on the (RED) site, to update you on all the other stuff going on.

And a few more highlights of the cool (RED) things going on:

Gayle and Oprah on a charitable Chi-town shopping spree! Oh wait, that’s Bono…

Watch Oprah today (Friday, October 13th) and you’ll see her big special show in which she and Bono, ahem, paint the town (RED). They tear around Chicago on a shopping spree, hanging with Penelope Cruz and Christy Turlington at the Gap, Kanye West gets involved, and then there’s some special performance by Bono and Alicia Keys. Check it out!

Mary J. breaks through in her fierce little red Gap top.

Gap is currently selling an entire line of (RED) products, and no, they’re not all red. I happen to like the Gap (Product) RED jeans they’re selling. And they’re not red. (Nor are they cheap.) Or you can get cool T’s or hoodies or button-downs. See how good they look on Mary? And this blond guy?

Red looks good on him, eh?

At Converse, you get some special (RED) Chuck Taylors, in any color you want. In fact, you can design your own (RED) pair. Pretty cool…

These (RED) Chucks are Taylor-made for you! (Sorry.)

So there. Happy Friday! Shop if you can. Or help however you choose.