Bono is such an easy target for mockery – a tiny, middle-aged Irish man dressed as a teenager with ridiculous sunglasses trying to save the world by going "doo doo doo" on iPod adverts.
So it sort of annoys us when Bono does something smart and kind and decent, like roping in a number of huge brands to create Red, a superbrand which will dedicate a portion of revenue to help fight AIDS in Africa. It annoys us, because we can’t really take the piss too much.
What’s that? You’ll be able to buy special Bono-style Red sunglasses so you can fight AIDS while looking like Bono? That’s ridiculous. Oh thank God.
It’s easy to think of Bono (CDs) as a slightly out-of-touch rockstar who will happy sue a stylist about a missing pair of trousers then brag that people will love his music for 100 years. But, through gritted teeth, we’ll admit that the man does a lot of good. After all, Time magazine doesn’t hand out Man Of The Year awards willy-nilly.
Red, Bono’s new idea of helping raise money to fight AIDS in Africa, is another one of Bono’s good ideas. Bono has persuaded companies like Gap, Converse, Armani and American Express to become part of Red, a new worldwide brand which will donate portions of revenue to the Global Fund, a public-private partnership which accounts for a quarter of the world’s funding for Aids programmes.
There will be a new line of Red-branded products – such as Converse trainers, Gap T-shirts, American Express credit cards and the slightly ludicrous-sounding Bono lookalike Armani sunglasses (we always thought that Bono exclusively wore Bulgari sunglasses, but what do we know?) which are soon to go on sale. Bono said:
"Red is a 21st century idea. I think doing the Red thing, doing good, will turn out to be good business for them."
The companies have signed up to Red for an initial period of five years, during which Red will rely solely on word-of-mouth marketing. As an incentive to sign up to Red, the companies will still make a profit on the Red-branded products.
OK Bono. Good idea. But your last album was still rubbish.
Read more:
Bono starts new brand to fight Aids – This Is London
[story by Stuart Heritage]