(RED) Celebrates 15 Years of Its Inspiring Partnership with Apple

For Apple, red isn’t just another colour that it offers its iPhone, Apple Watch, and accessories in. It’s actually the foundation of a decade-and-a-half partnership with the global charity that seeks to end the HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria epidemics in third-world countries.

To be fair, Apple’s (PRODUCT)RED editions have become such a staple of its colourful iPhone and Apple Watch lineups that it’s easy to forget that the red-emblazoned products carry a special significance, but over the course of Apple’s partnership with (RED), it’s provided nearly $270 million to support the Global Fund in its fight against HIV/AIDS and related health epidemics in developing countries.

The bulk of Apple’s contributions, which make up nearly 40% of the total contributions that (RED) has made to the Global Fund, come largely from the sale of (PRODUCT)RED devices. Normally, Apple contributes a portion of the proceeds from (PRODUCT)RED sales, which have varied between different products over the years.

For example, to announce its partnership with (RED) in 2006, Apple released a (PRODUCT)RED special edition of the iPod nano, promising that a flat $10 from each one sold would go to the Global Fund through (RED). In that first year, Apple contributed more to the fund than any other (RED) partners.

Then, last year In the midst of the worldwide health pandemic, Apple pledged to donate 100% of its (PRODUCT)RED profits to COVID-19 pandemic relief, and last month it promised to continue donating half of its proceeds to the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response throughout 2022.

During World AIDS Day each December, Apple also donates $1 for every Apple Store purchase made using Apple Pay, and this time around it also unveiled six new downloadable (RED) Apple Watch Faces to help raise awareness.

Celebrating 15 Years

Now, (RED) is lauding its fifteen-year partnership with Apple with a new video showing “15 Years of INSPI(RED) Impact.”

“(RED) and Apple have a shared history in fighting to end HIV/AIDS. As a (RED) partner for 15 years, Apple has raised nearly $270 Million for the Global Fund through the sale of (PRODUCT)RED devices and accessories. With COVID threatening to undo the progress made to date in the AIDS fight, Apple has been engaging its customers in the fight against both pandemics year round and during key moments through the App Store, Apple Pay integrations, and employee engagement.”

The video opens with a look at Apple’s current (PRODUCT)RED lineup, starting with the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7, and then encompassing Apple’s silicone iPhone cases and Beats headphones. It then flashes through a series of other (PRODUCT)RED iPhone cases, including the Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 7 and Leather Folio for the iPhone X — “15 years of INC(RED)IBLE products.”

Apple’s contributions to (RED) go back much farther than the iPhone, however. In fact, it wasn’t until 2017 that Apple offered the first (PRODUCT)RED iPhone, with a special edition iPhone released in the spring. Apple did sell a variety of (PRODUCT)RED iPhone cases over the years, though.

However, Apple’s (PRODUCT)RED partnership most famously began with the iPod nano, and although that’s long been discontinued, its legacy remains. For the first five years of the partnership, it was the most visible (PRODUCT)RED product available, continuing through five generations of the portable music player. It was joined by the iPod shuffle the following year, and then finally the iPod touch in 2012.

Today, however, the (PRODUCT)RED edition has become a staple of Apple’s standard iPhone lineups. When Apple finally decided to add a splash of colour to its iPhone family with the iPhone XR, the (PRODUCT)RED edition joined the group, and it’s remained part of the group ever since.

The video also briefly highlights (GAMES FOR RED), a relatively short-lived initiative that Apple tried out in 2016 when it partnered with developers of popular apps such as Angry Birds 2 and Candy Crush to offer limited-edition, custom (RED) content through in-app purchases.

The final half of the video shows medical professionals, patients, and other workers in African communities benefitting from COVID-19 protection, testing, and treatment provided from the funds raised by Apple’s initiatives.