Who: Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle, Apollo Studios, ARTiculation, PHD Toronto. The City of Toronto and Toronto Transit Commission also donated media space.
What: “Canadians are not bulletproof,” a new pro bono campaign about rising gun violence in Canada.
When & Where: The campaign includes posters, print, out-of-home, TV, online video, radio, e-mail, digital banners and social, all driving to a dedicated website NotBulletProof.ca. The campaign broke Oct. 7 and runs through January.
The campaign launched in Toronto, with plans to expand nationally. There have been 358 shootings resulting in 30 deaths in Toronto so far this year according to Toronto Police Services data.
Why: The group of frontline doctors is urging the public to put pressure on their local MPs to support a ban on civilian-owned semi-automatic weapons such as the AR 15. According to Statistics Canada, firearm-related violent crime increased in 16 of Canada’s major metropolitan areas between 2013 and 2017.
How: The broadcast and online video ads show iconic Canadian items, such as a hockey puck and a bottle of maple syrup, being punctured by bullets—what Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns describes as a “super-slow-motion depiction of the destruction of Canadians and their culture.”
Radio and social ads present surprising statistics relating to gun violence in Canada, such as the fact the country is ranked fifth in the world in gun deaths amongst OECD peer nations, and the number of restricted weapons in Canada has more than doubled since 2005.
And we quote: “Canadians are not bulletproof, but our laws should be. We’re mobilizing all Canadians to contact the MP candidates in their riding to urge them to support a ban on all civilian owned semi-automatic weapons.” — Dr. Najma Ahmed, co-founder of Canadian Doctors for Protection From Guns.
“Guns are not only killing people, but they’re killing Canada’s culture and reputation for being a safe place to live. The Canadians Are Not Bulletproof campaign is a passion project of the agency, led by concerned staff who recognized a rare opportunity to lend our expertise and resources to create breakthrough communications that could potentially save lives.” — Kevin Brady, president, Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle.
