Last year, mass shootings reduced in the US. It wasn’t because the US government had acted on gun control or gun safety. It was because Covid had caused lockdowns.
Change The Ref and Ogilvy New York have used this to create a provocative campaign. It asks to Bring Back Lockdown – “for another year, or ten. Until it’s really safe to be together”. The campaign is urging Americans to ask their representatives to legislate stricter gun control measures.
The campaign film, voice by Parkland student, Waitze Zuckerman, is beautifully scripted. Simple statements, simple truths spoken without drama, hit hard. She says, “We’re still too dangerous to each other. Every gathering is a gamble. And we never know how risky a stranger could be. Lockdown has helped keep us alive.”
“Gun laws and regulations continue to fall short of securing the safety of our schools,” stated Change the Ref co-founder, Manuel Oliver. “The Bring Back Lockdown campaign is an important moment to push the gun control conversation back into the forefront and incite change. This campaign is a call to action and acknowledgment that there is a stark contrast in gun violence in schools since the onset of Covid-related lockdowns. It is my goal with this campaign to inspire Americans to push their reps to fight for stricter gun laws to be passed so that schools can be a safe place for our children.”
“More guns have been purchased since the onset of COVID than ever before, which means there are more guns in homes, and therefore a higher likelihood of gun violence in schools when kids return,” Oliver added. “I hope this campaign will spark the change necessary for children to feel safe in school, and that no other parent has to endure the pain of losing their child to this unconscionable violence.”
“A mother can sacrifice some personal time helping with homework, lunch, or simply having a nice conversation,” Patricia Oliver, Change the Ref co-founder, commented. “What a mother should never do is accept a society that sacrifices the lives of more than seventeen kids per day and shows no intention of fixing America’s gun violence crisis.”
Credits
Client: Change The Ref
Founders: Manuel & Patricia Oliver
Agency: Ogilvy New York
Chief Creative Officerss: Danilo Boer & Marcos Kotlhar
Creative Directors: Ricardo Franco & Angelo Maia
Copywriter: Gillian Goodman
Art Director: Grace Donahue
Digital Art Director & Website: Eric Lippincott
Global Head of Production: Dave Rolfe
Director of Content Production: Eric Soloway
Producer: Gabriella Pizzitola
Music Producer: Joanna Starling
Stock Footage Buyer: Daniella Nilva
Public Relations: Stef Schmit
Account Management: Peter Kush
Production Company: Hayden5
DOP: Jon Taylor Parker
Sound Mixer: Tom Salyer
Producers: Sara Beamish, Jocelyn Savoie & Jenahye Johnson
Editing: Work Editorial
Editor: Charlie Moreton
Assistant Editor: Griffin Ver Steeg
Sound: Steve Rosen @ Sonic Union
Colour: Mikey Pehanich @ Blacksmith
Music: Andrew Feltenstein & John Nau @ Beacon Street Studios
