Common Named as the Face of Converse PRODUCT (RED) Campaign

Chi-town native Common has signed on with Converse as the face of the company’s new Weapon of Change advertising campaign that will launch this fall in partnership with the PRODUCT (RED) initiative. The MC will appear in a series of print and outdoor ads shot by photographer Bryan Adams, and will appear in magazines and billboards across the country to promote Converse’s series of RED branded sneakers. Depending on the type of sneaker sold, between 5 and 15 percent of the net sales will be donated to The Global Fund, which finances programs to fight AIDS.

PRODUCT (RED), co-founded by U2 front man and activist Bono in 2006, seeks to raise global awareness of the ongoing AIDS crisis on the continent of Africa. "Converse approached me to join the (PRODUCT) RED initiative and affect change. I have always felt my purpose is to do for people,” Common says. “Converse and (PRODUCT) RED are about people -- educating and reaching out to people to help humanity. I do this through my music, activism and with people I come into contact with everyday. For me, Converse (PRODUCT) RED allows me to help affect change and have an immediate impact on people. Knowing the contributions from this initiative help people who need it makes it incredible because there's no such thing as small change.” Since it’s inception in 2006, the organization has raised over $25 million for The Global Fund. Current RED partners include Apple, The Gap, Giorgio Armani, and Motorola.