This Spanish Language Campaign Encourages Hispanic Parents to Store Firearms Safely

This Gun Violence Awareness Month, Brady: United Against Gun Violence, Casanova//McCann and the Ad Council have launched 'Da El Siguiente Paso' or 'Take the Next Step,' the first-ever national public education campaign on safe firearm storage reaching Hispanic gun owners. The effort, which is the latest campaign by the award-winning End Family Fire program, responds to the fact that the number of Hispanic adults who own firearms has doubled since 2017.  

By expanding the audience focus and adding educational materials in Spanish, this work can reach one of the fastest-growing populations of gun owners in the US, especially as Hispanic individuals account for 19 percent of the 7.5M new gun owners between 2019-2021. The latest available data shows that over a quarter of Hispanic people own a firearm, or approximately 14M Hispanic adults. And with such a dramatic rise in ownership comes an increased need for public education on safe firearm storage. As part of the new campaign, a new Spanish-language website, launched featuring in-language videos and resources.

Developed pro bono by Casanova//McCann, an integrated marketing agency specialised in reaching Hispanic audiences, this new campaign focuses on reaching both Spanish and English-speaking Hispanic parents who own firearms. The work builds on and further extends End Family Fire's existing efforts to encourage gun owners to take the next step to store all of their firearms more securely.  

Currently, in the US, approximately 4.6 million children live in a home with access to unlocked and loaded guns. According to a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association, despite 70 percent of parents believing their child could not access firearms within the home, over 30 percent of children from those households claimed to have the ability to access a firearm in less than five minutes. 

Family fire refers to a shooting caused by someone having access to a gun from the home when they shouldn’t have it; this includes children as well as those who display behaviour that indicates they could harm themselves or others when accessing a firearm. Access to unsecured guns in the home can lead to a broad range of gun violence - including unintentional shootings, intentional shootings, and firearm suicide - which can be prevented through safe gun storage. 

“We are so proud to bring this campaign to life with Brady and the Ad Council to help our community. While the data shows the need, we were floored by the lack of information available for Hispanic gun owners,” said Ingrid Smart, president/CEO, Casanova//McCann. “As parents ourselves, it was very meaningful to have this opportunity and we are grateful to the End Family Fire team for trusting and supporting us. We hope this work reaches gun owners and will create lasting change.” 

“When people make the decision to buy a firearm for the home, they’re often doing it with protection in mind, but protection does not immediately equal safety,” said Kris Brown, president of Brady: United Against Gun Violence. “Safe storage is essential to preventing a means of securing your home from causing an irreversible tragedy. With the number of Hispanic gun owners doubling in recent years, a national Spanish campaign is vital in eliminating barriers faced by Spanish speakers in accessing safe firearm storage education. We are grateful for this critical partnership with Casanova and the Ad Council that will ensure nearly 14 million Hispanic gun owners have the resources they need to take the next step and end family fire.” 

“As a parent, you want your home to be the safest place for your children,” said Michelle Hillman, chief campaign development officer, the Ad Council. “We are thankful for our amazing partners at Brady and Casanova//McCann for their collaboration and commitment for reaching Hispanic audiences on such a critical issue. It is our hope that through this lifesaving work, gun owners across America will be inspired to take the next step in protecting their homes and communities by storing their guns securely.” 

The new PSAs feature two Hispanic fathers who are real gun owners, not actors, sharing how they currently store their personal firearms. The parents are presented with heartfelt letters written by parents whose children were killed in gun-related tragedies, emphasising the importance of safe gun storage and prompting the two fathers to reconsider their storage habits in real time. The spot ends by encouraging viewers to visit EndFamilyFire.org and DaElSiguientePaso.org for information about safe gun storage and resources to help prevent shooting injuries and deaths. 

Since 2018, End Family Fire has been working to shift the way gun owners think about and store their firearms. Gun violence is an issue that impacts everyone and by including gun owners throughout research, development, and production, the program intentionally brings these voices in as a part of the solution to reduce preventable firearm deaths.   

To date, End Family Fire has garnered over $120 million in donated media and over 5.2 billion impressions and has had proven success at changing attitudes and behaviours around gun usage and safe storage: According to an Ad Council study, 42 percent of respondents with a child in the home who are aware of the End Family Fire campaign have reported seeking information on safe gun storage in the past 12 months, compared to 10 percent of those not aware. (Source: Ad Council online survey of 1,815 US adults who reside in gun-owning households, fielded by Ipsos January 1st, 2024 – March 31st, 2024). 

This new creative will run across broadcast TV, social, digital, online video, radio and print media nationwide donated by both Spanish and English media. TelevisaUnivision is providing additional support to ensure the new PSAs further reach intended audiences by donating TV, social and digital inventory. Additional forthcoming audio assets will be produced by SiriusXM Media’s Studio Resonate and supported by donated inventory. To learn more about End Family Fire and how to promote responsible gun ownership, visit here or here.