On the 8th of October this year, Paris was painted red — well, one part of Paris, anyway. Luxury brand Montblanc covered the facade of its Champs-Elysées boutique in red, with an original art installation by Belgian artists Denis Meyers and Arnaud Kool.

The installation was a fresh take on the brand’s “art of writing” theme and featured powerful “handwritten” messages inspired by the (Montblanc)Red partnership, which aims to raise awareness for the fight against HIV/AIDS. The idea behind the installation, we suppose, is to encourage people to turn words into actions — actions that will help to lift the stigma of HIV, save lives and end a global epidemic.

“This special partnership with (RED) is more than just about raising funds for prevention and medication, it’s about educating others to understand that, as a community of global citizens, we can be more effective in ending epidemics like AIDS when we work together,” says Montblanc CEO Nicolas Baretzki. “Montblanc’s mission is to create products for individuals who seek to leave their mark, whether achieving their own ambitions, taking action for good or striving to make a positive impact on their communities and on the world.”

The (Montblanc)Red launch event also coincided with the sixth Global Fund Replenishment conference in Lyon, France, that was hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. The conference bring together governments, corporations, NGOs and private donors to pledge financial support for the fight to end AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The goal is to secure a total of USD $14 billion, which will help to save 16 million lives over the coming three years.

For their part in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Montblanc has extended its special (Montblanc M)Red collection of products, which was created in collaboration with (Red). For each product sold from the collection, five Euros will be donated to (Red); the amount goes directly to the Global Fund to support HIV/AIDS programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, and is enough to provide beneficiaries with 25 days’ worth of life-saving HIV medication.

The 2019 (Montblanc M)Red collection builds on the original products launched in last year, and comprise of red-accented trolley luggage bags and writing instruments devised by world-renowned designer Marc Newson.

The trolley bags riff off Montblanc’s signature #MY4810 line and have a red polycarbonate shell accented with red leather corners and handles. The inner lining also features inspirational quotes, printed in red, of course.

The writing instruments, comprising a ballpoint pen and fountain pen, have beautifully ergonomic forms, each with a brushed palladium cap and barrel that contrasts against the red lacquered grip section. Special (Montblanc)RED engraving can also be found on the nib and red ink feeder cover.

“In this pivotal year in the fight against AIDS, we are enormously proud to see (RED)’s partnership with Montblanc grow and evolve with the launch of the beautiful (RED) Trolley Cabin and new signature writing instruments. Iconic brands like Montblanc demonstrate the important role the private sector plays by not only generating money for the Global Fund, but by campaigning to keep this disease — and our ability to end it — on the public agenda. We thank them enormously for their continued support,” said Jennifer Lotito, COO, (RED).