77percent™

is the rise of philanthropic fashionistas decked out in Red T-shirts and iPods really the best way to save a child dying of AIDS in Africa?

“The Red campaign proposes consumption as the cure to the world’s evils,” said Ben Davis, creative director at Word Pictures Ideas.

Trent Stamp, president of Charity Navigator, which rates the spending practices of 5,000 nonprofits, said he’s concerned about the campaign’s impact on the next generation. “The Red campaign can be a good start or it can be a colossal waste of money, and it all depends on whether this edgy, innovative campaign inspires young people to be better citizens or just gives them an excuse to feel good about themselves while they buy an overpriced item they don’t really need.”

“It benefits the for-profit partners much more than the charitable causes.”

from an article in AdAge.