Seeing (RED)

Literally:



Figuratively:

I have been thinking about this over the past few days, and each time my blood pressure goes up a little. I know there are a lot of other (RED) products out there, but I'm going to pick on Starbucks since it's the most recent one I've seen. First I will say I am not blasting the (RED) Campaign. I think it is well intentioned and an innovative way to get the private sector made aware of and involved with what is going on in Africa.

So Starbucks. If I understand correctly, for every signature drink purchased, they will donate 5 cents to Global Fund. Shut up! A whole 5 cents???? I think I'm feeling a little generous too. Signature drinks for everyone, on the house. All for the sake of Africa! Please hear my sarcasm. As I stood in line for my weekly Starbucks treat before work Friday, I thought of how convenient it is to have campaigns such as this. Not only do I get my overpriced gourmet coffee fix, but I can feel all warm and fuzzy about my $4 dollar purchase because I just helped Starbucks help the (RED) Campaign help Africa, so I feel warm and fuzzy about Starbucks too. It's way better for me to spend my money here than some other coffee shop, right? Buying coffee here is like helping to save the world. Heck, maybe I'll come here everday on my way to work! Oh wait, I didn't buy a signature drink. Well, I will next time. Please hear the sarcasm again friends.

What makes my blood pressure go up is that we attach something like the (RED) logo to some product and we can in a sense let ourselves think that we are helping the greater good while filling our houses or bellies with things we don't really need anyway. We can justify our little (or big) indulgences because a part of the proceeds goes to a good cause. It's like the best of both worlds. I get my coffee, Starbucks gets my money and goodwill, and Africa gets a tiny share of each drink. It eases our consumers conscience by justifying our purchases.

However, because I am ruled by The Holy Spirit and another Kingdom than the one we see, touch, and interact with daily, this just doesn't do it for me. I found an article discussing the effectiveness of the campaign.

Bono set up RED because he thought that Make Poverty History, Live8 and the One Campaign (a massive lobby in the United States) had successfully put on the pressure to get governmental action at the international level. But not every one wants to join such campaigns. And not everyone gives to charities. There were two areas yet untapped - the private sector and consumers who like buying stuff, like the idea of helping others, but who are too idle or too self-centred to actually get up and do anything. RED was the attempt to draw into the wider coalition for Africa people who, if they didn't buy a RED iPod would just have bought one of another colour.

Is RED a big flop?

It all sounds like a pretty convincing success story to me. Buy Less Crap? The only people who seem to need to take that advice are the editorial staff of an American trade magazine called Ad Age.

Ingenious really. Let's give selfish, idle people who don't want to give to charities a way to feel good about stuff their going to buy anyway. Essentially that is what this article is saying. This is our society, which is what makes my blood pressure go up and makes me sad at the same time. What if we did buy less crap? What if I passed up my Friday morning indulgence to go to Starbucks and instead of letting Starbucks be ever so generous for me with their 5 cent donation (which is a tax write off people), maybe I could take the $4 and give it to Global Fund myself. However, that would require sacrifice, which isn't something America knows a lot about except when it comes to fighting for our freedom. Don't get me wrong. I love Starbucks. I'm not saying don't go to Starbucks or buy (RED) products. Let's not let our generosity only extend as far as our purchases. That is a tragedy in and of itself.