The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Brady: United Against Gun Violence and the Ad Council have launched a PSA to raise awareness about the lifesaving potential of Firearm Restraining Orders (FROs), also known as “extreme risk laws” or “red flag laws,” in Illinois. The new film builds upon the first phase of the “Pause to Heal” campaign, initially launched in April 2024 in Illinois.
This public safety effort is part of a planned multi-state “Pause to Heal” campaign designed to prevent firearm suicides and other shootings by educating the public about FROs or extreme risk laws. Extreme risk laws like Illinois’ FRO allow family and household members to request civil orders that temporarily prevent someone in crisis from purchasing or possessing firearms. FROs are proven to be highly effective, as they allow a person to “hit pause” on a potentially deadly situation and secure the time they need to heal.
Directed by the duo Si&Ad via production house Caviar, this new PSA powerfully illustrates the healing power of FROs. When a man in crisis shows signs of distress, his sister implements an FRO to temporarily remove his access to a firearm. The video PSA powerfully illustrates how an FRO enables his healing journey, leveraging cinematic use of sound design, editing, cinematography and special effects to generate maximum emotional impact. The Pause to Heal FRO campaign was spearheaded pro-bono by ad agency McKinney and production company Caviar.
“Increasing awareness for firearm safety measures and mental health resources is critical to reducing gun violence,” said Alex Shulhafer, executive creative director at McKinney. “After partnering with the Ad Council and Brady to launch the 2023 ‘Prepare for Misuse’ campaign, we were honored to team up again, this time alongside the IDPH, to highlight another crucial and deeply emotional aspect of gun safety, suicide prevention and the FROs that can save lives.”
The PSA debuts at a time when the nation’s gun suicide rate is at an all-time high and over 48,000 people die from gun violence annually, according to the CDC. This data underscores the need for a comprehensive public health approach to addressing gun violence, including education about extreme risk laws in the states where they are available.
Illinois is one of 21 states and Washington, D.C., that have an extreme risk law in effect. The “Pause to Heal” campaign is an Illinois-specific pilot, soon expanding to other states and Washington, D.C., that have variations of extreme risk laws in place.
