The 'Ballots Against Bullets' exposed politicians who failed to reduce gun violence, here's how
Change the Ref and Alma DDB have won the Advertising and Art Direction categories at The Drum Awards for Creativity. Here is the award-winning case study.
In 2020, Change the Ref launched Ballots Against Bullets, a campaign exposing politicians who failed to reduce gun violence. The campaign superimposed voter ballots over crime scene images from mass shootings, with bullet holes checking the boxes for politicians in office when the shooting took place, and who failed to prevent the crime through gun reform.
In 2022, we once again set out to remind voters of the importance of gun reform, and encouraged them to not re-elect pro-gun politicians. Following the first edition’s success, the bar for creativity and impact was already high, so it was important this work pushed the conversation forward. The creative approach had to look new and shock voters with the same message. To do that, our effort took a personal approach, enlisting real survivors of gun violence to make the case for gun control. The images superimposed voter ballots over the survivors' bullet scars, using their wounds to “check” the box for politicians opposing gun reform.
The goal was to continue driving awareness around why gun policies matter during voting, while highlighting politicians who have historically failed to support measures reducing gun violence in the U.S. Our target audience was U.S. voters, especially in states where notorious pro-gun politicians would run including Florida, Texas and Georgia. Running the day before the election, the campaign was showcased on 40 billboards, posters and projections strategically placed near voting sites in Florida, Georgia and Texas. The prints showcased in each state corresponded to the real state ballots that voters would be using on election day. It also ran on a local newspaper, as well as through owned social media channels.