We Are the World

==Marketing and promotion==
[[File:USA For Africa 1985 (US Press Kit 001).jpg|thumb|USA For Africa supergroup, featuring all musicians in a promotional photo.]]
"We Are the World" was promoted with a music video, a video cassette, and several other items made available to the public, including books, posters, shirts and buttons.<ref name="Campbell 112">Campbell, p. 112</ref><ref name="Belafonte learns answers aren't easy">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pNkSAAAAIBAJ&pg=5227,4256062&dq=we-are-the-world|title=Belafonte learns answers aren't easy|last=May|first=Clifford D.|date=June 27, 1985|newspaper=The Ledger|access-date=July 19, 2009}}</ref> All proceeds from the sale of official USA for Africa merchandise went directly to the famine relief fund. All of the merchandise sold well; the video cassette—titled ''We Are the World: The Video Event''—documented the making of the song, and became the ninth-best-selling video of 1985.<ref name="Campbell 112"/> All of the video elements were produced by [[Howard G. Malley]] and Craig B. Golin along with April Lee Grebb as the production supervisor.
The music video showed the recording of "We Are the World", and drew criticism from some. Michael Jackson was reported to have joked before filming, "People will know it's me as soon as they see the socks. Try taking footage of Bruce Springsteen's socks and see if anyone knows who they belong to."<ref name="tara 344"/>

The song was also promoted with a special edition of the American magazine ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]''. The publication had been the only media outlet permitted inside A&M Recording Studios on the night of January 28, 1985. All other press organizations were barred from reporting the events leading up to and during "We Are the World"'s recording. ''Life'' ran a cover story of the recording session in its April 1985 edition of the monthly magazine. Seven members of USA for Africa were pictured on the cover: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner and Willie Nelson. Inside the magazine were photographs of the "We Are the World" participants working and taking breaks.<ref name="Campbell 112"/>

"We Are the World" received worldwide radio coverage in the form of an international simultaneous broadcast later that year. Upon spinning the song on their local stations, Georgia radio disc jockeys Bob Wolf and Don Briscar came up with the idea for a worldwide simulcast.<ref>{{cite news|title=We are the World to be Played Worldwide|url=https://apnews.com/35bd795632c2b1f23d36392e5b9d3835|work=Associated Press News|access-date=February 7, 2014}}</ref> They called hundreds of radio and satellite stations asking them to participate. On the morning of April 5, 1985 ([[Good Friday]] of that year) at 3:50&nbsp;pm GMT, over 8,000 radio stations simultaneously broadcast the song around the world.<ref>{{cite news|title=Stations Around Globe Air 'We Are The World'|url=https://articles.latimes.com/1985-04-06/entertainment/ca-18495_1_radio-stations|agency=Associated Press|date=April 6, 1985|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=January 11, 2019}}</ref> As the song was broadcast, hundreds of people sang along on the steps of [[St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York|St. Patrick's Cathedral]] in New York.<ref name="Strike Up the Bandwagon We Are the World Raises Money, Spirits"/><ref name="Fifth Avenue Singalong Supports Relief Effort">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/06/arts/fifth-avenue-singalong-supports-relief-effort.html?n=Top%2FNews%2FScience%2FTopics%2FDrought|title=Fifth Avenue Singalong Supports Relief Effort|date=April 6, 1985|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=July 20, 2009}}</ref> A year later, on March 28, 1986 (Good Friday of that year), the simultaneous radio broadcast of "We Are the World" was repeated over 6,000 radio stations worldwide.<ref name="Campbell 113"/>

"We Are the World" gained further promotion and coverage on May 25, 1986, when it was played during a major benefit event held throughout the US.<ref name="Hands">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WegLAAAAIBAJ&pg=4387,2498283&dq=we-are-the-world|title=Hands|date=May 23, 1986|newspaper=The Evening Independent|access-date=July 21, 2009}}</ref><ref name="A 15-minute handshake for the US">{{cite news|title=A 15-minute handshake for the US|last=Hewett|first=Jenni|date=May 27, 1986|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref> [[Hands Across America]]—USA for Africa's follow-up project—was an event in which millions of people formed a [[human chain (politics)|human chain]] across the US.<ref name="Hunger song profits exceed expectation">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b7ISAAAAIBAJ&pg=5679,1906145&dq=we-are-the-world|title=Hunger song profits exceed expectation|date=October 9, 1986|newspaper=[[Spokane Chronicle]]|access-date=July 21, 2009}}</ref> The event was held to draw attention to hunger and homelessness in the United States.<ref name="Altruistic marketing">{{cite magazine|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1985/11/25/66688/index.htm|title=Altruistic marketing|last=Steinbreder|first=John|date=November 25, 1985|magazine=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|access-date=July 21, 2009}}</ref> "We Are the World"'s co-writer, Michael Jackson, had wanted his song to be the official theme for the event. The other board members of USA for Africa outvoted him, and it was instead decided that a new song would be created and released for the event, titled "Hands Across America".<ref name="campbell 114 115"/> When released, the new song did not achieve the level of success that "We Are the World" did, and the decision to use it as the official theme for the event led to Jackson—who co-owned the publishing rights to "We Are the World"—resigning from the board of directors of USA for Africa.<ref name="campbell 114 115"/><ref name="Campbell 116">Campbell, p. 116</ref>
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