As a teenager, I am inclined to scoff at anything labeled as "Moms," but the gun sense campaign designed by Moms Demand Action is vivid and effective. They demand an emotional response and approach the issue of gun violence by appealing to common sense.
The use of a darker, cooler tone in the lighting of each image sets the stage for a somber and serious discussion. The expressions on each of the models is dead and aloof - as if they are staring blankly into the distance where there is no future for their generation. In each image, the model on the left holds the thing that's been banned and the model on the right holds the assault rifle. While this creates a feeling of division on the imagery, it also serves as political commentary. By placing the assault rifle on the right, they are associating it with the political right (conservative - more likely to oppose gun control). By placing the items that have been banned on the left, they are associating policing of toys and protection of children with the political left (liberal - more likely to support gun control). While this makes a statement, I think it's inherently polarizing. It creates a distinct us-and-them dynamic, which is ineffective because the people they have to convince are those on the right. By choosing smaller children as models, and by choosing the biggest guns available, they have created a juztiopositoin in size that highlights the dark hilarity of the situation. The size difference is almost comical, and it highlights the very root of the issue. I also thought it was interesting that it's always a white model who holds the rifle. While white males are statistically the most likely to commit a school shooting, it's difficult to slap that label onto a small child. There are various reasons why they have chosen to do this, as race and racial stereotypes are a fine line to walk in advertising, but the imagery is still striking.
The text they have chosen is also interesting. The font is type-writer-esque, which suggests a newspaper or an antique feel. This highlights the severity of the issue and how long we have been fighting to change it. By making the viewer choose which of the two things depicted has been banned and asking us to guess, they are mocking the situation. "Look at this," they say, "Isn't the right answer obvious?"
This ad campaign is fascinating, and I think it's the most effective one that I've seen in a long time. However, I still think it has its flaws. In an age like the one we're currently living in, the call to action needs to be made clearer. This ad simply asks us to acknowledge that there is a problem, but it doesn't scream for an immediate, impulsive reaction. We're constantly bombarded with media, so we need to be told what to do immediately. Otherwise, we'll forget what we saw, and it won't be as effective the second time around.
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