Hear Great Beats & Help Eliminate AIDS in Africa

Beatmup, alongside our Special Edition partner Beats by Dr. Dre will be at Concrete image store in The Hague, Amsterdam this week and next – making beats and educating visitors on HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Beatmup will be showing "The Lazarus Effect" film by (RED) and HBO. Directed by Lance Bangs and executive produced by Spike Jonze “The Lazarus Effect” follows the stories of HIV positive people in Africa, who in as few as 40 days, undergo a remarkable transformation thanks to access to treatment.

Watch the film, listen to some great beats on the Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition headphones and check out the gallery space inspired by (RED).

The event will be taking place September 1st, 3rd, 8th and 10th at 7pm at the location below. If you're around be sure to check it out.

Concrete image store
Spuistraat 250
1012 WW Amsterdam
The Netherlands

The Avett Brothers Join (RED)NIGHTS

There is no harmony like brotherly harmony and no one does it better than Scott and Seth Avett, better known as The Avett Brothers. Their sound is hard to classify – a mix of folk, country, bluegrass, rock and pop - even a jab of punk-style dynamics here and there, but we love it all. And another reason to love them? They’re going (RED). On October 1st at Los Angeles Nokia Theater the magic of The Avett Brothers live show will go (RED), when they perform as part of (RED)NIGHTS – a concert series that saves lives.

So if you’re in the City of Angels on Friday October 1st don’t miss it! A portion of the proceeds from each (RED)NIGHT goes to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. You can get tickets to The Avett Brothers (RED)NIGHT show with past (RED)NIGHTS artist Brandi Carlile here.

We can’t wait!

Win a Trip to Lesotho with the Global Fund

This week the Global Fund, the organization we work with to put (RED) money directly on the ground in Africa, is giving you the chance to win a trip to Lesotho – to visit Global Fund financed programs and to witness the front lines of the fight against HIV.

This is a rare chance for you to see the life-saving work undertaken by those in the field and explore a beautiful country few people get to visit. However, this is not a holiday - it's a challenge.

The Global Fund is looking for someone that can reach out to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people and persuade them to recruit hundreds, perhaps thousands, more to support their Born HIV Free campaign. They will be picking the supporter that recruits the most people via the Global Fund Causes petition and raises the most awareness for the campaign.

Do you want to go? Here is what you need to do:

1. Click here and invite your friends to sign the petition.

2. Gather support elsewhere. Write to blogs you know, persuade anyone that can reach a big audience to promote the campaign, host promotional events at your local club. Persuade employees to sign up. Really innovative promotional ideas will go down well here.

3. Send an e-mail to socialmedia@theglobalfund.org telling us who you are, how many people you have recruited and what you did to promote the campaign.

At 5:59am, EDT, Sept 3rd, competition entries close and we will contact the winner the following day.

*Quick note: For legal reasons, this competition is only open to residents of Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, The United States and the United Kingdom. You must be at least 21 years old as of the date of entry. Full terms and conditions are available here: http://www.theglobalfund.org/documents/bornhivfree/bornhivfree_contest_officialrules.pdf

Bwalya Liteta

We are very sorry to announce that Bwalya Liteta who features in The Lazarus Effect film passed away on Saturday, August 14th at the age of 12. She had been battling complications from AIDS and ultimately died from heart failure.

Bwalya was an HIV positive child who had lost both her parents. (RED) first met her in May 2009 and filmed her recovery from near death to robust health with the help of ARVs. Everyone who met her was inspired by her quiet determination, and delighted in her progress and the way she lit up over the fact that she was now top of her school and back playing her favorite games with her friends.

Nearly half a million children will be born with HIV this year - but with increased investments and the right policies, it’s possible that we could have a world where virtually no child is born with HIV by 2015. Many organizations including (RED), the Global Fund, ONE, and the Gates Foundation are focused on making this promise a reality.

Bwalya’s death is a tragic loss for all those who knew and loved her. We send our deepest sympathy to her family and the medical staff who cared for her.

Gap Give and Get is Back! 30% off for You. 5% to (RED)’s Efforts!

We have a special offer for you! Get 30% off any purchase at Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Gap Outlet and Banana Republic Factory stores AND they’ll give 5% of your total to the Global Fund, the organization we work with to help eliminate AIDS in Africa! The offer is good only between August 26 and August 29.

Here’s the coupon you’ll need to print. You can use it multiple times at ANY store (in-store only, not online) and you can share it with your friends so they can shop and save lives too.


For these few days, you can essentially turn any of your favorite Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy products (RED)™. That means 5% of every purchase is sent to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. No overhead is taken out, so every penny goes to those who need it.

Get ready to shop and save!

*Available in the US and Puerto Rico only

Vote for (RED) at SXSW 2011!

South by Southwest (SXSW) 2011 is going down March 11-20 2011 and we want to make sure (RED) is there. Now SXSW is letting you vote on panel's for next year's festival and we're looking for your votes!

Vote for our Interactive panel here.
Sign a petition, spread a hashtag, join a Facebook group. Are such initiatives really able to achieve social change? Can these simple actions add up to a bigger movement or really contribute funds to a cause?

Vote for our Music panel here.
Artists are collaborating with brands in new & more organic ways. Find out how these partnerships have evolved, what brands are looking for, and how an artist can maximize their return from these associations.

Just in! Train Joins (RED)NIGHTS

We're happy to announce Train as the latest artist to go (RED)! If you're in L.A. check out their (RED)NIGHT at The Greek on September 30th.


Tickets are on sale now, and if you buy VIP tickets you'll get to meet Train and score (RED) goodies! You can purchase tickets here.

Train joins a long list of artists who have turned their shows (RED): Corinne Bailey Rae, Brandi Carlile, Santigold, Brett Dennen, Matisyahu, Fall Out Boy and so many more.

RED)NIGHTS: a concert series that saves lives. A portion of the proceeds from every (RED)NIGHTS show goes to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

South Africa: The World Cup Is Behind Them But Still Goals in Sight

Driving through the Nkomazi region of South Africa, there are certain sights that are impossible to ignore: the red and green mountains in the distance, the cloudless, bluest sky you’ll ever see, and equally as striking, but far less beautiful, the rows and rows of unfinished houses that line the roads: half built foundations the size of Manhattan bedrooms, planned and plotted for better times. My first encounter with these was met with a knowing look from Brooke Wurst, the driver of our truck and founder of TRIAD (Training to Reduce the Incidence of AIDS-related Deaths), the organization that brought me there. “Don’t you know,” she joked, “the World Cup is going to change everything.” I saw her point.

With the warmth of the world’s spotlight rapidly fading from South Africa, the nation is moving ahead into uncertain times. Problems, particularly the struggle to control HIV/AIDS rates among its poor populations, are growing in complexity as worldwide aide is decreasing.

For that reason, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I took a mid-summer sabbatical from my role at (RED) to work in the Nkomazi region--a resettlement zone in the Northeast heart of South Africa with an estimated HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 40% , making it ground zero for the fight against the pandemic worldwide. What I experienced, however, even though Global aide may be decreasing for South Africa, hope and resilience are certainly not. In fact, they may be growing.

In Nkomazi, this is due in large part to TRIAD Nkomazi Rush, the organization run by local leaders of the community who were identified and trained by members of their parent organization, Boston-based TRIAD Trust. Over the last several years, these young leaders (most in their 20s) have developed a health and life skills curriculum that they instill in the youth of villages from miles around through sports and arts programs.

Here's what I ran into it the first day I walked into their office: Ambition. Confidence. Focus. I realized soon enough where it all came from: a plan and a sense of responsibility to maximize the resources made available to the region through organizations like TRIAD Trust. Their goal is and has been prevention. Their plan is to inspire and cultivate a generation of informed decision-makers among the youth of their community.

And to do it on their own. My role, for example, was to assist TRIAD’s Marketing Director Isaac Shongwe and Executive Liaison Zola Ndlovu in securing local sponsorships with an aim at becoming completely financially self-sustaining in a few short years. I left with every confidence that they will.

Yesterday, I returned to (RED) with an unsettled sense of wonder. New Yorkers are not as friendly as Swazis. Happiness has nothing to do with circumstance. Nkomazi and the incredible leaders of TRIAD have taught me all you need is hope and a plan and you are on your way.

-Morgan Pile at (RED)