These Dystopian Insurance Ads Confront the Normalisation of Gun Violence in the US

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Office and his Youth Council to End Gun Violence (MYCEGV), in partnership with the LA creative agency Omelet, have created Louder Than Guns, a campaign that shows how taking action can create real change and save lives. Every day in the US, 100 Americans are killed by guns. From mass shootings, homicides, gang shootings, suicides, school shootings, and accidental gunfire -- living with this epidemic isn’t something we have to accept.

Louder Than Guns is a two-part campaign inspired by the frustration the high school students of Los Angeles are feeling toward the apathy and normalisation of gun violence. The first part harnesses that frustration into 'Gunsure Insurance' ads to spark conversation, then transitions into actionable ways Angelenos can get involved to make a difference.

On May 22nd, dystopian ads for gun violence insurance will appear around Los Angeles. They're just preposterous enough to make you stop and wonder – is this real? Much like an insurance company might sell you different products, this campaign has bespoke ads that speak to the different ways Americans experience gun violence - mass shooting insurance, accidental shooting insurance and daily gunfire insurance. All ads direct Angelenos to 1-833-GUNSURE, a “hotline” that explains the turn in the campaign, provides an avenue to share personal stories of gun violence, and drives people to the action-fueled campaign hub.

This wake-up call to Angelenos then transforms into an uplifting, youth-led call to action on National Gun Violence Awareness Day (June 7th).

On National Gun Violence Awareness Day, the “Gunsure Insurance” ads will be replaced by vibrant posters that urge Angelenos to take action. Distributed through bus shelters and digital and social media, all campaign extensions drive Angelenos back to the campaign website, where people can learn how to get involved in ways big and small, engage their communities, access a toolkit so anyone can become a campaign ambassador, and share their stories.

The MYCEGV is the first Mayor-led initiative in the country to formalise a leadership role for youth in city government to drive action and advocacy on gun violence prevention and intervention. The council is comprised of 14 high school students from across the City of Los Angeles. Led by the vision of these youth, Louder Than Guns is the first campaign of this historic and unprecedented collaboration.

The Mayor’s Youth Council to End Gun Violence was formed following a roundtable with local teenagers hosted by Mayor Garcetti following the massacre in Parkland, Florida in 2018. In addition to launching the public awareness campaign, the MYCEGV has also collaborated with the City of Los Angeles to identify and publicly support legislation that helps them achieve their vision for a safer community.

The Louder Than Guns campaign is a collaborative effort between Mayor Garcetti’s office and creative agency Omelet. Omelet agency worked with the Youth Council as the “client,” obtaining inspiration, ideas and feedback from them over various working sessions. In January, the MYCEGV and Omelet held a kickoff retreat to discuss the youth perspective on issues surrounding gun violence.

After a group brainstorm and an open exchange of ideas, Omelet distilled the discussion down to key themes around which to build a campaign. Omelet led several creative workshops with the MYCEGV, collaboratively building on the core ideas surfaced at the retreat which eventually culminated in the creation of this campaign. The partners received input from March for Our Lives, The Brady Campaign, Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence, and Everytown for Gun Safety. Louder Than Guns is a continuation of Omelet's five-year partnership with the City of Los Angeles, a follow up to their water conservation campaign, Save the Drop, in 2012.