You don’t need to convince Australians that owning a gun is a less than inspired idea. But that is not the case in the US.
More than 30,000 people die from gun-related deaths in the U.S. each year [The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Deaths: Final Data for 2014]. Although a gun must be the most dangerous consumer product on the market, the governmental regulation involved in their manufacturing is minimal.
FCB Chicago created the awareness campaign, Teddy Gun, for The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV), to highlight this paradox. The agency has been working with ICHV since 2015.
ICHV is a non-profit organisation that focuses on handgun violence prevention and handgun control. It hopes that the Teddy Gun will be the catalyst for change within state and federal governments.
Teddy bears, the quintessential embodiment of love and care, are required to meet far more safety standards than guns. The Teddy Gun resembles a cuddly teddy bear but, to avoid the strict regulations placed on toys and to shine a spotlight on the senseless shortage of gun manufacturing regulations, this product has been designed as a gun. Key functional elements have intentionally been omitted from its construction to ensure it cannot be used as a functioning weapon, but the fact that this legal product is a gun is proof that the issue of gun control requires attention.
“The Teddy Gun is a profound yet tragically ironic symbol of the absence of government regulations of one of the most dangerous consumer products,” stated Colleen Daley, executive director, ICHV.
“Our goal with Teddy Gun is to raise awareness and encourage elected officials to support measures that can and will save lives.”
The campaign story of the Teddy Gun has been told through award-winning film director, Ben Flaherty, highlighting its creation, design, development and production. The film calls attention to the lack of regulation throughout the manufacturing process and illustrates how a dangerous gun can be brought to market more easily than an innocent teddy bear.
On the campaign website, teddygun.com, people are encouraged to learn more about common sense gun regulations, view the documentary film, and take action by contacting their senators.
Credits:
Agency: FCB Chicago
Liz Taylor: Chief Creative Officer
Max Geraldo: SVP, Executive Creative Director
Bruno Mazzotti: Creative Director
Dean Paradise: Creative Director
Gustavo Dorietto: Creative Director
John Bleeden: SVP, Executive Creative Producer
Lindsay Tyler: Executive Integrated Producer
Ben Flaherty: SVP, Creative Director
Roman Mendez: Director, Motion Design
Ky Anderson: Account Supervisor
Katie Roach: Executive Producer
Steve Immer: Senior Editor
Michael Chesta: Senior Manager Digital Development
John Skibicki: Lead Developer
Morgan Bates: Senior Developer
Erik Christianson: Tech Lead
Derek Tucker: Business Analyst
Mamo Arima: Senior Project Manager
Greg Olsen: Senior Retoucher
Scott Wulf: Senior Retoucher
Mike Norgard: Social Manager
Eduardo Borges: 3D Artist, Lauré Studio
Hero Solutions: Maker
Alexis Valenti: VP, Current Lifestyle Marketing and Public Relations
Virginia Devlin: President, Current Lifestyle Marketing and Public Relations
Colleen Daley: Executive Director, Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence
