The RED Revolution from the Perspective of Visual Cultural Studies: A New Chapter in Art, Commerce and Corporate Social Responsibility

摘要

This honors project is a critical examination of Project RED, a corporate campaign designed to heighten the appeal of a set of consumer products to a transnational youth demographic by associating these products with the eradication of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The project seeks to understand Project RED in the context of visual cultural studies in the tradition of the Birmingham School, and also of critical work on the use of culture as a tool for corporate growth. The project rests on a close reading of visual texts, including a HBO documentary and a set of advertisements, that constitute Project RED.