Women Against Gun Violence, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public, policymakers and the media about the human, financial and public health consequences of gun violence, released a PSA titled “Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger.”  Directed and animated by Johnnie Semerad of Quietman for Grey New York, the PSA features a folk song, scored and performed by singer/songwriter Stephen Krauss, an executive creative director at Grey NY.

The video and its music aim to connect with the millennial generation. “This may not be your dinner table video but it gets the point across, and it gets people talking which is the ultimate goal,” said Josh Stepakoff, gun violence survivor and Women Against Gun Violence’s youngest board member. “I want my peers, the millennial generation, to use their power to affect change, and I believe this PSA will help get them engaged in the conversation.”

Women Against Gun Violence especially hopes to engage America’s youth in the conversation regarding guns on college campuses.  In the wake of campus shootings like UCSB in 2014 (7 dead and 7 wounded) and Virginia Tech (32 dead and 17 wounded in 2007), the debate has escalated about whether or not to permit guns on college campuses. 

“College campuses throughout the United States remain extremely safe environments without the presence of concealed handguns,” said Margot Bennett, executive director of Women Against Gun Violence.  “And data shows that college campuses where concealed carry of guns is permitted, the crime rates actually increased while the student population decreased.”

Credits

Client Women Against Gun Violence Agency Grey NY Tor Myhren, worldwide chief creative officer; Per Pedersen, deputy worldwide chief creative officer; Andreas Dahlqvist, chief creative officer; Stephen Krauss, executive creative director/songwriter/singer; Ari Halper, executive creative director; Marco Pupo, Joao Coutinho, creative directors; Bennett McCarroll, executive VP, director of broadcast production; Dante Desole, director of audio services/sound engineer; Josh Rabinowitz, executive VP, director of music; Amy Rosen, VP, director of licensing; Emma Tonetti, project manager. Production Quietman Johnnie Semerad, director/animator; Carey Gattyan, exec producer; Clare O’Brien, associate producer; Morgan Mitchell, editor; Stephanie Greenberg, Flame artist.

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