New York, NY - Evolve, the gun responsibility organization, has launched its
first ad campaign encouraging individuals to take personal responsibility for
gun safety. Evolve aims to become the “third voice” in the American gun debate,
a conversation that has been gridlocked for decades. Created pro bono by
Saatchi & Saatchi New York, the creative work uses humor and satire to
encourage responsible use and storage of guns.
"Safety is not a side. Gun owners and non-gun owners
live with guns in this country, and we should all be able to have a
collaborative conversation about how to think about gun safety," says
Rebecca Bond, Co-Founder of Evolve. "Humor can be a gateway to taking
away the defensiveness that is the legacy of these discussions. We hope
to put this conversation on the kitchen table and start talking about it."
The campaign features
a provocative short film directed by the highly acclaimed TV and film
director Seth Gordon. It will appear in a number of places online,
and portrays Thomas Jefferson and other political leaders and
statesmen debating the language of the Second Amendment. After a heated
debate, the group decides to remove a crucial “as long as you’re not a dumbass
about it” caveat to the amendment. The video – based on the line “It’s the
right to bear arms, not the right to be a dumbass” – highlights a number of
outrageous examples of careless gun use.
Evolve Co-Founder Jon
Bonds adds: "We want the 'Dumbass' concept to catch on in popular culture
the way 'friends don't let friends drive drunk' did for safe driving."
“When we researched the gun debate in America, we saw that it’s
become almost impossible to have a thoughtful discussion about gun safety,”
said Claudine Cheever, Chief Strategy Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi New
York. “What I love about Evolve is that they’re not about taking a side in that
debate - they’re squarely focused on promoting personal decisions about gun
safety. We believe the work will make people laugh and think.”
The call to action is
for American gun owners to sign the Code of Gun Responsibility. See the video above. And
for more info please visit http://www.takeonthecode.com/
About Evolve
Evolve (www.evolvetogether.us) is about promoting responsible choices about gun safety behaviors in
America. Safety is not a side and that is something that the majority of gun
owners and non-gun owners can agree on. We respect that the Second Amendment
guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. We believe that gun safety should
be as big and aspirational as a Nike 'Just Do It' message, motivating people
to, well, just do it. Evolve is a nonprofit organization founded by Jon
and Rebecca Bond in 2013, made up of gun owners, non-gun owners, gun industry
leaders, moms and dads, professionals, leaders, and NRA members.