GAP (PRODUCT) RED COLLECTION DESIGNED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR AFRICA
Founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver, (RED) Will Raise Money to Help Eliminate AIDS in Africa
Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Garner, Chris Rock, Penelope Cruz, Christy Turlington, Don Cheadle, Mary J. Blige, Dakota Fanning and Apolo Ohno Help Celebrate Launch Of GAP (PRODUCT) RED in a Powerful New Gap Ad Campaign
SAN FRANCISCO – October 9, 2006 –
On October 13, Gap will
introduce Gap (PRODUCT) REDTM - a new, limited collection of clothing and
accessories for men and women designed to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. As
part of Gap’s global partnership with (PRODUCT) RED, half of the profits from
sales of the Gap (PRODUCT) RED Collection will go to The Global Fund to
finance programs that help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.
"I think it’s great that Gap is participating in this campaign, leading the
way and giving back in a way that is all too necessary and overdue. This is
such a great way to merge fashion and activism," said Don Cheadle, actor and
activist featured in the new Gap (PRODUCT) RED ad campaign. "Hopefully this
campaign will help people educate themselves and get them interested about
what’s happening in the world beyond our own borders. I hope that other
companies can look to this campaign as an example for what they can do."
Founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver, (RED) is a groundbreaking initiative that
marries the private sector of business with the buying power of the public in
an effort to generate a sustainable flow of private sector funds towards the
fight to eliminate AIDS in Africa. To do this, (RED) will harness the power
of some of the world’s most iconic brands including Gap, Converse, Emporio
Armani and Motorola – the first companies to partner with (RED).
“Gap is proud to be a partner of (PRODUCT) RED and we are truly honored to be
a part of something as critical as eradicating AIDS in Africa,” said Cynthia
Harriss, president of Gap Brand North America. “Gap has a long history of not
only providing great style but also making a difference. (PRODUCT) RED
provides a unique opportunity for our customers to help make a real difference
in people’s lives."
Gap, which first offered a line of Gap (PRODUCT) RED T-shirts in the United
Kingdom earlier this year, has a five-year commitment to the (PRODUCT) RED
initiative. The new, limited edition assortment of more than forty items
launching on October 13 is rooted in classic Gap product categories such as
T-shirts, hoodies, jeans and accessories. Each product is consistently
branded Gap (PRODUCT) RED and features subtle yet distinct details inspired by
(RED).
To celebrate the introduction of the Gap (PRODUCT) RED Collection, Gap is
launching a powerful new advertising campaign featuring an incredible cast of
celebrities photographed by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz. The
campaign consists of compelling images of Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Garner,
Chris Rock, Penelope Cruz, Christy Turlington, Don Cheadle, Mary J. Blige,
Dakota Fanning and Apolo Ohno. Each image features a celebrity wearing their
favorite Gap (PRODUCT) RED item in a way that expresses their individual
style. To help capture the emotion of the shot, the images include a
corresponding tagline incorporating the word “(RED)” – such as ADMI(RED),
INSPI(RED), CENTE(RED) and UNCENSO(RED). From Chris Rock’s humorous
expression reinforced with the tagline UNCENSO(RED) to Mary J. Blige’s soulful
glance accompanied by the tagline EMPOWE(RED), the ad campaign captures a
range of commanding emotions. The campaign spreads also feature a poignant
phrase that emphasizes the significance of contributing to the Global Fund by
buying Gap (PRODUCT) RED items – it reads “Can a T-shirt Change The World?
This One Can. All Gap (PRODUCT) RED clothing is designed to help eliminate
AIDS in Africa.” Developed by Laird+Partners, Gap’s creative agency, the
print campaign will run in November issues of national magazines including
Vanity Fair, Vogue and O, The Oprah Magazine.
Gap (PRODUCT) RED items range in price from $1 to $350 and include graphic
T-shirts ($28) and tote bags ($45) for men and women, skinny jeans with red
stitching for women ($150) and leather jackets for men ($350). A
vintage-style T-shirt from the collection is being manufactured in Lesotho,
Africa from 100 percent African cotton. The T-shirt is made for both women
and men and will be available in red, as well as a range of other classic
colors. Additionally, three limited edition Converse (PRODUCT) RED Chuck
Taylor® All Star® canvas high top shoes, in red, white and black ($47), will
be available exclusively in select Gap locations nationwide beginning October
13.
As part of its (PRODUCT) RED collection, Gap is also introducing a book
entitled Individuals: Portraits from the Gap Collection – 100 percent of Gap's
profits from the sale of the books will benefit The Global Fund. Individuals
is a stunning tribute to the people who have shaped our cultural landscape and
the style they espoused in the process. The books will be available in both
hard ($150) and soft cover ($35) and come with a limited edition CD containing
fifteen of the most memorable songs featured in Gap ads.
The full Gap (PRODUCT) RED collection will be available exclusively in select
Gap adult stores in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France and Japan and online in the
U.S. at gap.com. In stores, the Gap (PRODUCT) RED collection will be
displayed in a distinct shop-in-shop boutique.
With the introduction of Gap (PRODUCT) RED, Gap Inc. is deepening its
commitment to sustainable economic development in Africa. Gap Inc. has been
investing in Africa through product production, which was established there
nearly ten years ago. Additionally, Gap Inc. supports Apparel Lesotho
Alliance to Fight AIDS (ALAFA) – a pilot project recently launched by ComMark
Trusts that provides HIV/AIDS education and testing for factory workers. The
company is also working with the World Bank to develop a training center to
improve factory conditions in Lesotho, a key sourcing market in Africa for Gap
Inc.
Please visit www.gap.com/red and www.gapinc.com/red for more information about
Gap (PRODUCT) RED and JOINRED.COM for more information about (RED) and
(PRODUCT) RED.
About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. is a leading international specialty
retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men,
women, children and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Forth
& Towne brand names. Fiscal 2005 sales were $16.0 billion. Gap Inc. operates
about 3,000 stores in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France,
Ireland and Japan. For more information, please visit gapinc.com.
About (RED) and (PRODUCT) RED
(RED)'s primary objective is to
engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for The Global Fund
to help fight AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT)
RED mark contribute a percentage of the sales from that product to The Global
Fund to finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of
women and children. Current partners are: American Express, Emporio Armani,
Converse, Gap and Motorola. MySpace.com is the first media sponsor.
WWW.JOINRED.COM.
About The Global Fund
The Global Fund to fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria is a unique global public-private partnership
dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and
treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This partnership between
governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities
represents a new approach to international health financing. The Fund works in
close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to
supplement existing efforts dealing with the three diseases. The Global Fund
finances one fifth of all global efforts to stop AIDS and two thirds of global
expenditure against tuberculosis and malaria.