It's not every day that a brand has the honor of turning one of New York City's most famous neighborhoods (RED), but this week is no ordinary week. We have reached a pivotal point in the fight against HIV/AIDS and this weekend, Belvedere will join (RED)'s many supporters, be they brands, companies or consumers, to celebrate World AIDS Day.
We are moving rapidly towards beginning the end of AIDS, and by 2015 our aim is to witness the first AIDS-free generation for over 30 years being born. The drugs now exist to make this a reality, but there is still a long road ahead in terms of ensuring the right access and availability, and we all can play a part.
In blog posts published earlier this week by (RED) CEO Deborah Dugan and (RED) collaborator Tiësto, we gained insight into the many ways we can all fight for an end to AIDS. Whether it's landmarks turning red, dancing to a global live stream or even buying a (RED) product from brands who contribute up to 50 percent of their profits from (PRODUCT)RED to the Global Fund, there is a common theme -- getting involved has never been easier.
This winter marks the second year of Belvedere's partnership with (RED) and we like to start as we mean to go on. On Thursday evening, we turned New York's Meatpacking District (RED) with a light show that illuminated the area in red, featured 20ft white neon trees and included a one-night-only performance from Canadian electro-funk duo Chromeo. As the crowds gathered, I witnessed something quite extraordinary; the streets came to a standstill and thousands of people fully embraced (RED) and Belvedere Vodka's mission to end this global pandemic. It was a very humbling sight and I'm proud to say that it's the first of many Belvedere activities that are taking place around the world in honor of (RED). We will execute over 90 events in 12 countries this week in support of (RED). Our goal is not just to match our contributions to the Global Fund so far, but to exceed them.
Consumers are increasingly thoughtful about how to give to good causes when shopping and products such as our (BELVEDERE)RED Special Edition bottle make it simple; Buy (RED), Give (RED) and Save Lives. The money raised from sales of Belvedere (RED) help drive the fight forward to create positive impact, namely the virtual elimination of the HIV virus transferring from mothers to their babies.
To mark World AIDS Day and the continued support from brands and consumers alike, (RED) has produced a short documentary which tracks the (RED) dollar, from in-store to impact.
Be sure to play your part in the fight against AIDS this weekend. Together we'll help millions more affected by this devastating disease and put a stop to this global pandemic. Thank you sincerely in advance for your support.
This blog post was produced by The Huffington Post and (RED) as part of a series recognizing World AIDS Day, which is December 1. Click here to see other posts in the series and here to see content from "The Big Push" (the initiative by the Global Fund, the recipient of (RED) monies, to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria). For more information about how you can get involved on World AIDS Day, please go to www.joinred.com/worldaidsday.