Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness New York launched a campaign they hope will become irrelevant.
While advertising is no stranger to PSA campaigns tackling the issue of gun violence, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness takes a different approach here. Rather than targeting the issue of gun control or the causes of gun violence, the agency wanted to do something to make an impact immediately. Inspire by public safety posters on what to do in the event that someone is choking, they created a poster instructing viewers on how to act in the case of a shooting, with information ranging from how to react when you first hear gunshots to what to do if you’ve been shot.
A video extends the effort to the broader issue of preventing gun violence. Introducing the effort as “The campaign we didn’t want to make,” it ends by calling on viewers to, “Help us take down this poster.”
Without getting into the nitty-gritty of the root causes of gun violence or gun control issues, how to go about doing that is ultimately left up to the viewer. At the conclusion of the PSA, viewers are instructed to visit the campaign landing site, where visitors can share mental health resources, report suspicious behavior, become a trained first responder, learn about local gun policy, explore resources for gun violence survivors and more.
Credits:
Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, New York, USA
Chief Creative Officer: Kathy Delaney
Creative Directors: Carolyn Gargano, Scott Carlton
Art Director: Carolyn Gargano
Copywriter: Scott Carlton
Illustrator: Lauren Chan