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Alongside Apple's annual Apple Pay donation campaign supporting The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria that's currently underway around World AIDS Day, the company has historically offered a selection of its products under the related (RED) brand.

beats-solo-4-red.jpg

While we recently noted that Apple has been scaling back its (PRODUCT)RED portfolio over the past few years, the company's Beats brand yesterday announced a collaboration with British Nigerian designer Yinka Ilori for (BEATS)RED Beats Solo 4 headphones with a limited-edition packaging design.

Unfortunately, there's a catch, which is that these new (BEATS)RED headphones aren't available for sale as they are a custom product to help create awareness around World AIDS Day and the (RED) campaign.


According to Women's Wear Daily, Beats notes that the packaging design is a tribute to "resilience, community and hope," that "blend[s] traditional African aesthetics with contemporary design." Ilori says his design celebrates "the collective effort of nurturing" and was inspired by "the metaphorical sense of planting seeds and watching them grow into something beautiful."

Article Link: Beats Debuts (PRODUCT)RED Solo 4 Headphones, But You Won't Be Able to Buy Them
 
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Reactions: TheAppleGuySL
I'm not going to fault Apple for what it has done with its RED products and campaigns in the past. I couldn't possibly account for all those years.

But this seems like they're just fence sitting when they really just want to quit.

Maybe its a sly way of moving towards launching new products that have the "Product RED" finish but don't come with an actual donation but are just "RED" to remind the buyer and public to go and donate on their own dime?

If that's the case then I'd rather see Apple (and beats) be honest and just announce it's over, no more RED donations for buying red products made by Apple.

People are still dying of AIDS, or dying to get access to all the new medicine that could help stop the spread -Please don't half-ass this (former?) great campaign!
 
It raised a lot of money that was donated. Whether it achieved a goal I have no idea.
It's an ongoing endeavor. But a lot of progress has been made (all of it costing ungodly amounts).

But considering how popular all of Apple's RED products have been, and how much Apple sells at large, it must have been a reasonable amount.

Apple wanting to quit RED seems to strongly indicate that they'd rather keep those 10% if Product RED sales rather than donate them.
 
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Reactions: GermanSuplex
Honestly, no one wants the Solo 4 headphones anyway, especially when the Studio Pro headphones are often on sale for around $170.
 
Wait… what? So… Apple is just teasing us? Here the thing you want, but it’s for us only. We’re not letting you buy it.

(Did they study at the Eric Cartman School of Economics?)
 
  • Haha
Reactions: russell_314
Honestly, no one wants the Solo 4 headphones anyway, especially when the Studio Pro headphones are often on sale for around $170.
But the Solo 4 can also be found on sale for a significant discount. You can get the Solo 4 for $99.99 right now on Amazon. (Maybe even cheaper at another retailer.)
 
Dipped in the blood of Apple’s enemies…hence the exclusivity.

I’m sure there’s a contingent of Apple shareholders who have been complaining about Red donations. They can’t wait to get their infantile little paws on the few pennies the cessation of the program might provide.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: russell_314
It's an ongoing endeavor. But a lot of progress has been made (all of it costing ungodly amounts).

But considering how popular all of Apple's RED products have been, and how much Apple sells at large, it must have been a reasonable amount.

Apple wanting to quit RED seems to strongly indicate that they'd rather keep those 10% if Product RED sales rather than donate them.

It could also be possible they find it easier to donate directly rather than have products manufactured and marketed. Who knows, just a thought. But I agree, the campaign probably helped far more than it hurt.

And I admit, a lot of the red products were snazzy.
 
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