U2 will premiere a new song, “Invisible,” via a commercial from (RED) and Bank of America that will air during next Sunday’s Super Bowl (Feb. 2.) As previously reported by Billboard, the song will set up U2’s forthcoming album – a follow-up to 2009’s “No Line On The Horizon,” and the group’s first under new manager Guy Oseary.
“Invisible” will be available as a limited-edition free download on iTunes for the first 24 hours after the Super Bowl commercial airs. For every download during that time, Bank of America will donate $1 (up to $2 million) to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to provide life-saving HIV/AIDS treatment, testing and prevention services in many of the world’s poorest countries. Beyond the downloads, U2, (RED) and Bank of America expect to generate more than $10 million in donations and funding for the campaign.
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Since being co-founded by Bono in 2006, (RED) has generated more than $240 million for the Global Fund – the Bank of America funding will help it pass the quarter-billion mark. (RED) funds are specifically targeted to fight diseases in Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia, and has aligned with other brand partners including Apple, Starbucks and Coca-Cola to help fund a care for mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015. Additional details can be found at bankofamerica.com/RED.
“Bank of America coming on as a (RED) partner to help the Global Fund’s efforts to eliminate AIDS is great news,” said Bono in a statement. “It’s the kind of game-changing influence that will not just deliver millions of dollars but raise consciousness and keep public pressure on putting an end to this devastating pandemic which has already taken the lives of 35 million people. And just in…the bank’s commitment of $10 million has resulted in the Gates Foundation, SAP and Africa’s Motsepe Family matching for a total of $22 million. Incredible.”
“Invisible” is the latest new musical offering from U2 in recent months, following “Ordinary Love,” a song the band wrote and recorded for the Nelson Mandela biopic “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom.” The song took home the Golden Globe for Best Original Song earlier this month, and is up for the same award at next month’s Oscars. Additional details on U2’s next album have yet to be confirmed, but Billboard has learned that although the band is re-teaming with longtime label Island overseas, the next release will be distributed in the U.S. by Interscope.
30-second spots for this year’s Super Bowl are commanding nearly $4 million, a new record reflective of the continued ratings gains of the NFL event and advertisers’ need to have their commercials seen in front of a live, DVR-proof audience.