Northwell Health’s latest awareness campaign has a tiger problem. The spot from StrawberryFrog focuses on gun violence prevention by equating access to guns with owning an unleashed tiger.
The spot “Ferocious Tiger” will be shown in New York and centers on the idea that guns are now the leading cause of death for kids—and neighbors and parents asking about unlocked guns in the home could help save lives. It finds a couple going to the neighbor to ask them about their unseen but very heard pet tiger, hoping it will be locked up. Text at the end of the spot says “doesn’t kill to ask about unlocked guns.”
Northwell understands that asking questions about gun safety may be difficult or awkward—but breaking the taboo of talking about access to unlocked guns is the first step towards gun safety.
For more than 60 years, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of injury-related death among young people. But firearms have taken their place, citing the New England Journal of Medicine’s reference that “in 2020, firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of death … among children and adolescents.”
The key goal of the campaign is to reduce risk, putting the danger of unlocked guns front and center, while stressing the importance of asking friends, family and neighbors about gun access.
In addition to the 30-second TV spot, Northwell’s gun violence prevention campaign includes integrated content including OOH, radio, digital display and social media. The launch film was created by StrawberryFrog and directed by Steve Mapp of Fancy Content.
“Most people think gun violence involves the typical 18 year old shooter, when in fact many times it’s children in the home finding unlocked guns,” said Scott Goodson, CEO of StrawberryFrog. “We needed a creative approach that let millions of American parents ask other parents whether they lock up their guns. That’s not an easy conversation to have. Our partnership with Northwell led to this bold campaign with a completely new POV on gun access and safety.”
“Much like you ask the parent of your child’s friend about food allergies, or if there is a pool, you should also ask if there is a gun in the home,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health in a statement. “Health systems, including Northwell Health, understand that gun violence is a public health crisis—and one way we can all contribute to curbing the crisis is prevention. It starts by asking the question.”