(RED) and Bank of America are partnering with Nike for the TURN YOUR MILES (RED) mobile-optimized fitness campaign to help eradicate HIV submission from mothers to children.

The three global brands are aiming to harness the community via the Nike+ Running mobile application. The campaign begins on Oct. 12, coinciding with the Bank of America-sponsored Chicago Marathon, and ends on Dec. 7.

?I think running a health campaign on a mobile app will be very effective, especially in the Nike+ Running app due to their very loyal audience,? said Shawn Aguilar, digital marketing manager at TapSense, San Francisco, CA. ?Another reason why this will be successful is that the user doesn't have to do anything out of the ordinary to pledge.

?This will dramatically increase the amount of miles pledged.?

Campaign within the app
The TURN YOUR MILES (RED) campaign seeks to empower runners, walkers and fitness aficionados to make contributions to the (RED) charity. Bank of America has agreed to donate 40 cents for each Nike+ Running mile pledged to the organization, up to $1 million.

The 40 cent donation is said to potentially be the equivalent of a lifesaving medication for an individual with HIV.

Users can pledge miles through the app or via the designated site, www.nike.com/onestep4red. The Web site, which is mobile-optimized, also provides up-to-date statistics on goals and numbers achieved so far.

Bank of America and (RED) have a long history of partnership in the charitable sector. The two brands teamed up for a SuperBowl ad this past year, which resulted in more than $10 million being raised for AIDS.

?The power of the brands here will carry momentum,? said James McNally, director of business development at Fuzz Productions, Brooklyn, NY. ?This isn't guerrilla marketing or jiu jitsu - these are mega brands with mega mind-share; even a mediocre rollout will raise awareness. 

?Fitness is a great starting point too - it's a perennial top-of-mind issue, and it's great to tie people's personal struggles with broader challenges in the fight against HIV / AIDS.?

(RED), which was founded by U2?s Bono, offered a 24-hour window to download a new U2 song. Bank of America donated $1 for every download in that time period.

The brands are hoping that the Nike+ campaign will culminate in similar levels of success.

?While (RED) has marketed itself pretty broadly thus far, the partnership with Bank of America and Nike can expand and amplify that work,? said Joline McGoldrick, research director at Millward Brown Digital, Boston, MA. ?As a result, it certainly increases the potential for donations.?

Successful app
The free Nike+ Running app has been one of the brand?s biggest successes among consumers. With a plethora of features including in-progress GPS maps, audio feedback on runs and suggested running challenges, it has aided in building brand loyalty among fitness enthusiasts.

The app also has a significant social element, in which users can make profiles on nikeplus.com to set up goals, share encouragements and view other comparable statistics.

Photos on the app can also be tagged and shared with friends across all social networking channels.

?The campaign definitely has potential to engage consumers with its ?feel good? outcome ? consumers feel the reward of both improving their health through fitness, while helping drive donations to a worthy cause,? Ms. McGoldrick said. ?Being able to share and compare results with others is also compelling ? athletes can be quite competitive.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York