U2 frontman Bono has a reputation for being a relentless humanitarian crusader, but he kicked the intensity up a notch by calling out Apple’s lack of public support for his (Red) charity during a presentation at Cannes this week.
During a talk at Cannes, Bono was seated next to Apple designer Jony Ive, and took the opportunity to call out Apple’s choice to keep quiet on their support for (Red), which aims to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS. The company had previously engaged in a branded product program where consumers could buy devices, with a portion of proceeds going to the charity.
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However, Bono reportedly told the crowd that Apple has downplayed its involvement all along, pointing to late Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ refusal to add the nonprofit’s signature parentheses to any Apple products, or feature it in any Apple stores.
“One of the reasons it’s such a credit to have Jony Ive on the stage is because Apple is so fucking annoyingly quiet about the fact they’ve raised $75 million,” Bono told the audience, according to AdWeek. “Nobody knows!”
The singer then reportedly pulled out an official (Red) iPad cover and removed the device. The logo, which he showed the crowd, was inside the cover, forever hidden by the tech it protects.
“Where’s the (Red) branding?” he asked. “Nobody can see that. This is modesty run amok. This is the Apple way. They’re like a religious cult.”
Bono then made a renewed plea to the business heads and brand reps in attendance to aid in funding the research and distributing the medicines needed to protect HIV-positive parents from passing the virus along to their unborn children.
U2 is currently working on their follow-up to their 2009 album, No Line on the Horizon. Here’s what we know so far.
