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Stagwell Brand Performance Network’s Assembly Joins Forces with (RED) to Fight AIDS & Injustice

June 19, 2024

The New Collaboration Sets Sights on Women’s Sports to Drive Money and Raise Awareness to Combat HIV, Which Infects Over 4000 Girls and Young Women Every Week

CANNES, FRANCE (June 19, 2024): Today, Assembly, part of the Stagwell Brand Performance Network, announced a special global pro-bono collaboration with (RED), the organization founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver to fight AIDS. The partnership aims to leverage the rapidly growing popularity of women’s sports to raise money and awareness to combat the global AIDS crisis and address the health, social and economic injustices that greatly impact women and families rising from the disease. Assembly’s deep roots in data, talent, and technology will be leveraged to identify and create new media properties and channels, enabling (RED) to harness the passion of athletes, teams, fans, and brands in women’s sports and empower awareness and conversation to enable greater commitment to fight a disease that remains one of the leading causes of death in women in Africa.

“Every week, roughly 4000 adolescent girls and young women become infected with HIV,” said Jennifer Lotito, President and COO of (RED). “To end the AIDS threat which disproportionately impacts girls and young women, we must forge more life-saving partnerships that drive life-saving resources and awareness to the fight. We’re thrilled to join forces with Assembly to turn the excitement and energy around women’s sports into a powerful force for progress against one of the world’s deadliest–and most preventable–injustices.”

Rick Acampora, Global CEO of Assembly added, “As a global organization we recognize that communities around the world are affected by the threat of HIV, with women and girls being disproportionately impacted. As part of our Partners for Progress Initiative, which aims to support underserved communities, we’re able to create new pathways and partnerships that raise awareness and ultimately, help save lives. We are honored and excited to partner with (RED) to conduct research and develop programs that support this mission, by leveraging sport as a global platform for empowerment, education, and community.”

The announcement, which coincides with Sport Beach 2024, the flagship sports business destination at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (Cannes Lions), comes on the heels of new research from Assembly which conducted primary research among adults 18-64 who supported women’s issues in the past 12 months. The research reveals that fans want to see women’s sports raising awareness and driving social impact to create new opportunities to advance social issues and causes, with equality being a primary focus. Additionally, it confirms the increasing popularity of women’s sports and designates which sports stand out for audiences. According to the findings, the Olympics, basketball, tennis, soccer, and volleyball all top the list of the most followed women’s sports programming in America. In the U.K., fans continue to gravitate towards soccer, tennis, and the Olympics.

About (RED)

Founded by Bono & Bobby Shriver in 2006 to fight AIDS, (RED) partners with the world’s most iconic brands and people to create products and experiences that raise money, heat, and urgency for global health crises.

Every action you take with (RED) saves lives. All money generated by (RED) goes to the Global Fund, one of the world’s largest funders of global health.

To date, (RED) has generated over $750 million for the Global Fund, helping more than 245 million people. (RED) funding supports life-saving programs that empower health workers and provide testing, treatment and care in places where injustice has enabled pandemics to thrive.

(RED) partners include Anova Culinary, Apple, Balmain, Bank of America, Beats by Dr. Dre, Ember, Fiat, Girl Skateboards, Laithwaites, Levoit, Lobos 1707, Louis Vuitton, Mavin Records, NOMASEI, Panasonic, The Ridge, Salesforce, Santander Asset Management, Starbucks, Vespa and ZIMMERMANN. (RED) supporters include IQVIA, Merck and Roche.

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RELEASE DATE: June 19, 2024

CONTACT: press@red.org