Among the many projects cited by SHOOT when it named Grey NY its Agency of the Year (SHOOT, 12/13/13) was a PSA entitled “Ed–A Petition for Stronger Gun Laws” for States United to Prevent Gun Violence. The live-action spot opens on a man with a blank facial expression who walks by and pays no heed to an office receptionist and former office co-workers. The office intruder is holding what appears to be a rifle. He then reaches a back office where he fires a shot at a man who appears to be in a managerial/supervisorial role. When the first bullet rings out, the supervisor and all the workers flee. But they have ample time to escape as the assailant has a musket-like weapon which requires that he reload and clean out the barrel in order to fire another shot. A super reads, “Guns Have Changed. Shouldn’t Our Gun Laws?”
“Ed” also earned industry accolades, including a Cannes Silver Lion.
Regarding what to do for an encore, Grey this time went the animation route, enlisting director Yves Geleyn and animation/mixed media studio Hornet for a States United to Prevent Gun Violence TV spot/web video titled “The Monster Is Real.”
The beautifully animated :90 PSA features a little boy who fears a “monster in the closet” and is reassured by his parents that there is nothing to be afraid of. One day, though, the lad looks to confront his fear and ventures into the closet where a box with a hat on top of it appears in the dark to be a forboding face. He climbs up, reaches into the box and pulls out a loaded, unlocked handgun. He begins playing with it and ultimately the weapon discharges, gravely wounding him. His unknowing parents can’t hear what’s happening over the din of their lawnmower cutting the grass outside.
A pair of stark messages appear on screen. They read: “The monster is real” followed by “1.5 million U.S. children are living with unlocked loaded guns. The spot concludes on States United to Prevent Gun Violence logo and web address, ceasefireusa.org.
Other sobering statistics not in the PSA include the fact that every day at least six children 18 years or younger are injured in an unintentional shooting, and that 75 percent of gun shot injuries to children under 10 that are serious enough to require hospitalization are due to unintentional shootings.
The Grey NY creative team included worldwide chief creative officer Tor Myhren, deputy worldwide CCO Per Pedersen, executive creative directors Rob Perillo and Rob Lenois, art director Evan Ortolani, copywriter Daniel Alvarez, executive VP/director of broadcast Bennett McCarroll, executive producer James McPherson and producer Zach Fleming.
