12 October 2007
(RED)™ is a for-benefit brand created by Bono and Bobby Shriver to harness corporate and consumer power in the fight against AIDS in Africa. Since its inception in March 2006, sales from (PRODUCT) RED™ branded products have generated more than $45 million for the Global Fund (www.theglobalfund.org) to invest in African AIDS programs with an emphasis on women and children.
“Hallmark’s decision to partner with (RED) is in line with the company’s legacy of enriching lives and giving back,” said Greg Raymond, Hallmark Senior Vice President of licensing. “In less than two years, (RED) has brought mainstream consumer attention to the fight against AIDS in Africa. We are proud that (RED) will give Hallmark customers an easy way to make a real difference in the world.”
Hallmark recently unveiled its initial (PRODUCT) RED holiday and everyday greeting cards, Cards with Sound, gift wrap, and a Hallmark Keepsake Ornament exclusively in Hallmark Gold Crown stores. Additional products are available at www.Hallmark.com/RED. A larger collection of more than 150 cards and additional gift items will appear online and in stores in January.
The Hallmark (PRODUCT) RED collection will raise money for the Global Fund while also creating jobs and supporting the local economy in Mali. For instance, one of Hallmark’s (PRODUCT) RED items, the Mali Mud Cloth Bag, made in the West African Republic of Mali, has generated jobs and income for 221 workers in the Malian cities of Bamako, Mopti, San, and Sevaré. In addition, it represents one of the largest export orders on record for artisan crafts in Mali.
Eight percent of net wholesales from all Hallmark (PRODUCT) RED products will go to the Global Fund. For the consumer, this means the purchase of one (PRODUCT) RED Card with Sound (retail price of $4.99) will result in a contribution equivalent to a single-dose treatment used to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV from mother to child during childbirth.
“People want to bring meaning to their everyday purchases,” said Raymond. “By purchasing a Hallmark (PRODUCT) RED card or gift for a loved one, you’ll not only be strengthening that particular relationship, you’ll also be helping to change the lives of people in Africa forever.”
The Power of (RED)
Hallmark is the latest company to join other (PRODUCT) RED partners, including Motorola, American Express (United Kingdom only), GAP, Emporio Armani, Converse, and Apple.
“We are thrilled to welcome Hallmark to the (RED) family,” said Susan Smith Ellis, Chief Executive Officer, (RED). “By bringing its legendary creativity and ability to create strong emotional connections to bear on its (PRODUCT)RED collection, Hallmark has given even deeper meaning to our tradition of sending cards and gifts. With a wide range of products — from cards to gifts — this new collection also gives shoppers an easy, affordable way to choose (RED) on a more frequent basis.”
Find out more at Hallmark.com/RED and www.joinred.com
About Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Kansas City-based Hallmark is known throughout the world for its greeting cards, related personal expression products, and television’s most honored and enduring dramatic series, the Hallmark Hall of Fame. The company’s Crayola subsidiary provides fun and imaginative ways for children to colorfully express themselves. The company publishes products in more than 30 languages and distributes them in more than 100 countries.
In 2006, Hallmark reported consolidated net revenues of $4.1 billion. Hallmark is a proud partner of (PRODUCT) RED. Find out more at Hallmark.com/RED.
