Apple Stores Are Turning (RED) Again for World AIDS Day

It looks like there’s more going on at Apple Stores this week than just Black Friday deals. With World AIDS Day arriving on Sunday, Apple has also begun turning the logos of many of its Apple Stores red to commemorate the occasion. While it’s unclear how many stores will be getting the red logo treatment, images are already starting to pop up on Twitter and Instagram as Apple fans encounter the new logos.

According to MacRumors, last year saw Apple turn 125 Apple Store logos red, while another 400 stores had red decals placed over their logos.

In addition to turning its Apple logos red and continuing to promote special edition (PRODUCT)RED iPhones and accessories, Apple will also be donating $1 to (RED) for every purchase made using Apple Pay, either online on in-store to help raise funds to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in developing countries.

Apple and (PRODUCT)RED

Apple has been a longtime supporter of (RED), a global charity that seeks to end the AIDS epidemic around the world, particularly in developing countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, and South Africa, through a Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The (RED) organization, which was cofounded by U2 frontman Bono , helps to both raise funds and raise awareness through the sales of (RED) branded products.

(RED) says that its partners — which also include several other big-name brands like Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Nike, and Hallmark — have collectively generated more than $600 million over the past several years. However, Apple has been solely responsible for contributing more than a third of this amount, with $220 million raised through its own (PRODUCT)RED offerings over the past 13 years, which began with a special edition second-generation iPod nano back in 2006, a special red model of the dimunitive iPod that was exclusively available in Apple retail and online stores.

Apple originally pledged that $10 from the sale of each special edition iPod nano would go to (RED), and as a result of the sheer volume of iPod nanos sold, Apple actually raised more money for the organization in that first year than any other partner. Every subsequent generation of iPod nano was also available in a PRODUCT(RED) edition, and Apple also added a special edition iPod shuffle to the mix the following year, and then an iPod touch later on in 2012, plus a number of accessories with the (PRODUCT)RED branding such as iPad and iPhone cases and smart covers. Depending on the item being sold, Apple’s contributions to (RED) ranged from $2 to $15 of the sale price.

Apple also introduced a special edition (PRODUCT)RED gift card in 2007 that was originally available only for a limited time, but made a brief comeback in 2014, when Apple gave it away as a special unique gift card with the purchase of qualifying products during its annual Black Friday sale in Apple Stores.

However, although Apple had released its own (PRODUCT)RED iPhone cases back in 2012, it wasn’t until early 2017 that it actually gave the (PRODUCT)RED treatment directly to an iPhone, with a special edition red iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus that came out several months after the original models. Apple followed this trend with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in the spring of 2018, but sadly we never saw a (PRODUCT)RED edition of the iPhone X, only later on with the more colourful iPhone XR and iPhone 11 models.

In its current lineup, Apple offers the iPhone 11, iPhone XR, and seventh-generation iPod touch in (PRODUCT)RED colours directly, while offering (PRODUCT)RED versions of its leather and silicon cases for the iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus, plus its iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case. There are also (PRODUCT)RED Apple Watch bands, leather sleeves and smart covers for Apple’s iPads, and Beats Solo3 headphones and the Beats Pill+ portable speaker. Apple no long divulges what portion of the sales actually go to (RED), but it’s still a great way to support a good cause, and even those who simply like the colour red are contributing by default.