The Ad Council and Brady Encourage Gun Owners to ‘Prepare for Misuse’

Today the Ad Council and Brady launch the newest addition to the life-saving End Family Fire campaign, 'Prepare for Misuse.' The new public service advertisements (PSAs) evolve the campaign’s long time focus on the dangers of unsecured guns by depicting the broad range of gun violence - including unintentional shootings, firearm suicide, and intentional shootings - that can be prevented through safe gun storage. The PSAs, which will appear nationwide, include a series of digital and TV spots and out-of-home (OOH) created pro bono by creative and media agency McKinney. 

Family fire refers to a shooting caused by someone having access to a gun from the home when they shouldn’t have it. In the US, 42% of adults live in a firearm-owning household, with 4.6 million children living in homes with unlocked and loaded guns. Access to a firearm also triples the risk of death by suicide. As the new PSAs state, 76% of school shooters access their firearm from the home. In a moment of crisis, safe firearm storage can prevent fatal outcomes, including unintentional shootings, suicides, and mass shootings.

“This latest effort from End Family Fire taps into the wider ramifications that an unsecured gun can have in a way our campaign has never done before,” said Kris Brown, president, Brady. “For the first time, we have expanded our effort to show the impact of unsecured firearms being misused both inside and now outside of the home, like in a school. Our aim with this initiative is to motivate gun owners across the country to prevent the tragedy of family fire, and we hope these new PSAs inspire people to take action within their homes to protect their loved ones.” 

In the new PSAs, a gun is shown being insecurely kept in a bedroom nightstand. Each spot explores a different scenario of how the unsecured gun in the home could result in a fatal death. Whether it be a young child unintentionally shooting a parent, a minor taking the gun to school, or an individual dying by gun suicide, the series of spots encompass all the different types of family fire - gun suicide, unintentional, and intentional shootings. To end each spot, a message on how to securely store your gun to prevent misuse is shared, stating that guns should be stored 'locked, unloaded, and away from ammunition.' 

This campaign brings awareness to the issue of family fire, gives owners a role in gun violence prevention, and encourages a national dialogue around safe firearm storage practices - all of which are proven strategies to prevent tragedies of family fire, which contribute to America’s gun violence epidemic. According to an Ad Council study, more than half of gun owners or adults in gun-owning households who are aware of the End Family Fire campaign report that they have taken steps to store their firearms more safely (Data source: Ad Council online survey of 1,816 US adults who reside in gun-owning households, fielded by Ipsos October 1st, 2022-December 31st, 2022).

“This campaign addresses one of the most significant public health crises facing Americans - gun violence. As a creative, I want to keep the pressure on us all to advocate for changes that will save lives because becoming numb to the issue isn’t an option,” said Alex Shulhafer, creative group director at McKinney. “This campaign addresses gun safety by encouraging gun owners to protect their families and prevent tragedies by storing their guns securely and our directors, Winston and Aaron Tao, were able to speak to this authentically as gun owners themselves.”

“We all want to keep our families and loved ones safe,” said Michelle Hillman, chief campaign development officer, the Ad Council. “This new work empowers people with guns in their home to start an important dialogue around safe storage practices and take the necessary steps to help prevent the tragedy of family fire. We’re grateful to our incredible partners at Brady and McKinney for their commitment to this critical issue and lifesaving work.” 

“Family fire is preventable,” said Brady advocate and Parkland father, Fred Guttenberg. “As a parent who lost my daughter to gun violence, this work is extremely important to my family and the millions of Americans impacted by gun violence each year. We must address all types of family fire and provide actionable steps to prevent these tragedies.”

This new creative will run across social, digital, online video, OOH and broadcast TV media nationwide in time and space donated by the media. To learn more about the campaign and how to promote responsible gun ownership, visit here.