Ad Council and Brady Center team up to promote safe gun storage and save lives
Gun violence and gun safety are still at the top of the news, and according to the CDC, every day in the US, eight children are unintentionally killed or injured by a gun. Often, that gun is found loaded and unsecured in the home – making these preventable tragedies.
End Family Fire
In response to this ongoing crisis, a coalition led by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence unveiled ‘End Family Fire,’ a public education campaign focused on preventing these gun-related tragedies that occur because of improperly stored weapons. The campaign was produced in partnership with the Ad Council and Droga5, and the public service ads will be distributed to media outlets nationwide.
More than 4.6 million children live in homes with unlocked and loaded guns, and three in four know where the guns are stored in their home. The term ‘Family Fire’ was developed for this campaign and refers to a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun found in the home that results in death or injury. Incidents may include unintentional shootings, suicides and other gun-related tragedies.
The new public service ads depict the ways in which an unsecured gun endangers, rather than protects, a family. A feature video highlights a conversation between a father and his inquisitive young son. The son, after watching TV, asks his father if “we have a gun.” The father, cautiously, says that yes, he does, to protect the family. As the child’s line of questioning continues, we see the father getting more uncomfortable as his son mentions that he knows where the gun is kept, and that he knows it’s not being stored properly, and that one day, when the father isn’t home, he might get his hands on the gun to protect his mother, or he might be bullied and “decide it’s too much for me.”
The haunting barrage of questions prompts the father to realize the dangers his unsecured gun poses.
The film concludes by driving viewers to EndFamilyFire.org, a digital experience that encourages families to reconsider their relationship with and behavior around guns in the home.
"We can all agree, eight children being unintentionally shot and injured or killed every day is simply unconscionable," said Kris Brown, co-president of the Brady Center. "Just like the term 'designated driver' changed perceptions about drinking and driving, the term ‘Family Fire’ will help create public awareness to change attitudes and actions around this important matter. This is a nonpolitical issue where gun owners and non-gun owners alike can come together and play a role in reducing the number of innocent lives lost to gun violence."
Added Lisa Sherman, president and chief executive officer of the Ad Council: “Making our homes safe for our children is at the heart of what it means to be a parent. With this poignant creative and powerful coalition of supporters, we will raise awareness of this silent national crisis and create a cultural shift to save the lives needlessly lost to family fire.”
Stated Duncan Marshall, founding partner at Droga5: “Our goal is to help the Ad Council and the Brady Campaign coin ‘Family Fire’ as a household term. We hope everyone who interacts with our content on EndFamilyFire.org learns about of the risks that come with keeping guns in a home with children, and learns tips for safe storage of guns in the home.”
‘End Family Fire’ has garnered support from a number of organizations including the National Parent Teacher Association, Doctors for America, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, Bishops Against Gun Violence, the DC Police Foundation, Grace Cathedral, Veterans for Gun Reform, and more.
The campaign is also being supported by the Gun Safety Alliance, a coalition of marketing industry leaders committed to ending gun terror and promoting gun safety, which was founded by Kristin Lemkau, Carolyn Everson, Ross Martin and Steven Wolfe Pereira.
The campaign will run in donated media nationwide across online, print and broadcast platforms.
To see more of the campaign, click on the Creative Works box below.
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Droga5
Droga5 is a New York City-based global advertising agency with an additional office in London. The agency works across all platforms including, broadcast, print,...
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