(RED)

World’s top Footballlers Joined By Kobe Bryant and Maria Sharapova to Lace Up and Save Lives in New Short Film From Nike

29 January 2010

Football Rivals, Tennis and Basketball Stars Show Creative Ways to Wear (NIKE) RED Laces In Fight Against HIV/AIDS In Africa

In support of Nike and (RED)™’s unique two-pronged partnership approach to fight HIV/ AIDS in Africa, leading footballers Didier Drogba, Andrei Arshavin, Clint Dempsey, Denilson, Marco Materazzi, Javier Mascherano, Fabio Cannavaro along with Maria Sharapova and Kobe Bryant came together in a new viral film released by Nike this week to encourage fans globally to “Lace Up. Save Lives.”.

The film is part of the Nike and (RED) partnership. Nike produces (PRODUCT) RED^™ branded laces, with all of the profits split equally between The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria – which funds medication for those living with HIV – and football-based community initiatives that deliver education and understanding around HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa.  This unique partnership, first announced on November 30th, the day before World AIDS Day in London last year, delivers programs that both medicate and educate.

Bringing together athletes with global appeal across football, tennis and basketball through this film provides another way to elevate awareness and unite people in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa.

The film features a cast of global athletes using the (NIKE) RED laces to lace up in unusual and imaginative ways.  Premier league rivals Drogba and Arshavin pay each other the ultimate respect lacing each other’s boots, as do Serie A competitors Materazzi and Cannavaro.  Maria Sharapova and Kobe Bryant add their personal touches, while all the players use the (NIKE) RED laces in distinct ways to encourage support for the campaign.

Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, the leading global ambassador for (NIKE) RED^, has been wearing the (NIKE) RED  laces in Premier League and at The African Cup of Nations, comments: “Filming was a lot of fun, but all of us are aware of the seriousness of the problem of HIV and AIDS in Africa and it is something I have seen first hand when I go back there. Maybe people aren’t aware but AIDS is treatable and we want to encourage players and fans around the world to buy the laces and help fight this disease.”

The (NIKE) RED viral is available at nikefootball.com starting at 5pm GMT on Friday, January 29th.
The (NIKE) RED Laces cost £4/$4/€4 and are available at Nike stores, www.nikestore.com and selected other sports retailers.  And additional (NIKE) RED products will be introduced in the coming months.

About NIKE, Inc.
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.nikebiz.com.

About (RED)™ and (PRODUCT) RED^™
(RED)’s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT) RED mark contribute a significant percentage of the sales or portion of the profits from that product to the Global Fund to finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of women and children. Current partners are: American Express (U.K. only), Apple, Bugaboo, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark, Dell, Nike and Starbucks. Since its launch in the Spring of 2006, $140 million has been generated by (RED) for the Global Fund.  One hundred percent of this money is put to work in Global Fund AIDS grants in Africa with no overhead taken out. (RED) money is at work in Swaziland, Rwanda, Ghana and Lesotho. For more information, visit http://www.joinred.com

About the Global Fund
The Global Fund is a unique global public/private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities represents a new approach to international health financing. The Global Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts dealing with the three diseases. Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has become the dominant financier of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, with approved funding of US$ 18.4 billion for more than 600 programs in 144 countries. To date, programs supported by the Global Fund have saved 4.5 million lives through providing AIDS treatment for 2.3 million people, anti-tuberculosis treatment for 5.4 million people and the distribution of 88 million insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria.