In honor of World AIDS Day – which is Thursday, December 1 – Apple is once again supporting the fight against AIDS by turning their retail store signs red, offering new (PRODUCT)RED products, an exclusive (RED) holiday album from The Killers, and more. This year marks the 10th year Apple has supported the cause.
(RED)’s critical work addresses the disparity in access to life-saving medication in sub-Saharan Africa, which has the highest prevalence of AIDS on the planet. The money raised by (RED) funds programs that offer counseling, testing, prevention and, most crucially, the life-saving ARV medication that prevents the transmission of HIV from mothers to their unborn babies.
In addition to the usual (PRODUCT)RED lineup of products, which are available for customers to purchase year-round, Apple has added four new (RED) products including an iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case, iPhone SE Case, Beats Solo 3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones and the Pill+ Portable Speaker, which are all available today.
For the next week, a number of popular games in the App Store will offer limited edition, custom (RED) content. All proceeds from in-app purchases for the content will go to the Global Fund. The twenty games participating are:
Angry Birds 2, Angry Birds POP!, Best Fiends, Best Fiends Forever, Boom Beach, Candy Crush Jelly Saga, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, CSR2, Episode, Farm Heroes Saga, FarmVille: Tropic Escape, FIFA Mobile, Hay Day, MARVEL Contest of Champions, PewDiePie’s Tuber Simulator, Plants vs. Zombies Heroes, SimCity BuildIt, War Dragons and YAHTZEE With Buddies.
The Killers’ holiday album, Don’t Waste Your Wishes, is available exclusively on iTunes, which includes 10 holiday tracks, plus a new track, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” with 100% of the proceeds in the US going to the Global Fund.
Starting Thursday, and running through December 6, Apple will donate $1 to (RED) for every purchase at an Apple Store, or via Apple.com or the Apple Store app made using Apple Pay, up to $1 million. Bank of America will also make a $1 donation for every Apple Pay transaction made using one of its cards, up to $1 million.
iTunes customers can also donate directly to (RED) via iTunes, and in the U.S., iTunes is offering free downloads of The Lazarus Effect, the documentary about the mission of (RED).
And finally, over 400 Apple Stores on five continents will turn their logos red, or feature (RED) decals in their windows to raise visibility for World AIDS Day.
Apple notes that over the past 10 years, 70 million lives have been impacted by (RED)-supported Global Fund grants. At the start of Apple’s partnership with (RED), 1,200 babies were born with HIV every day, and today, UNAIDS predicts that number could be near zero by the year 2020, with the end of AIDS by 2030.
“The gift of life is the most important gift that anyone can give,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Thanks to the vision and dedication of (RED), an AIDS-free generation is within our reach. We want to leave the world better than we found it, and that’s why our longtime partnership with (RED) remains so important to us.”
