Brady's 'Safe Stories' Are Packaged in a Book That's Also a Lock Box for Guns

Gun suicides are on the rise, taking the lives of approximately 67 people a day. Often, such tragedies occur when an unsecured firearm is easily accessible. Keeping weapons in a gun safe can help avert disaster by adding time and distance during a moment of crisis.

The latest campaign from the Ad Council, the Brady Center and Dentsu doesn’t try to deter people from owning guns. Rather, it encourages owners to always store weapons in a gun safe to prevent suicides and save lives.

“Safe Stories” recounts real events of people whose lives were affected by gun suicide. The text comes bound in a thick storybook. Each volume includes an actual gun safe, where owners can securely place one unloaded handgun.

A husband came close to suicide after an argument with his wife, who was able to diffuse the situation. In another story, a mother lost her son to gun suicide and contemplated suicide herself—she now keeps her firearm securely locked away.

“We want gun owners to see the importance of safe gun storage, by exposing them to real stories of gun owners that contemplated gun suicide or lost a loved one to it,” Tim Schoenmaeckers, executive creative director of Dentsu Creative, tells Muse. “There are a ton of options for safe gun storage in the household—from big intricate built-in gun safes to ten-dollar gun locks. That’s why we decided to integrate a biometric gun safe to the backend of the book. We strongly believe that combining these stories with a solution can send a powerful message to all gun owners in the U.S. and inspire them to safely store their firearms—locked, unloaded and away from ammunition.”

CREDITS

Dentsu:
Rafael Rizuto – Chief Creative Officer US and Hispanic LATAM
Pedro Pérez – Chief Creative Officer Chicago
Niels Sienaert – Executive Creative Director
Tim Schoenmaeckers – Executive Creative Director
Matt Tarulli – Group Creative Director
Chris Pacetta – Group Creative Director
Brian Monahan – Global Client President
Angela E. Johnson – Integrated Client Lead
Lexi Kern – Account Manager
Sarah Gelbard – Account Director
Eve Leshaw- EVP, Managing Director
Claesine Lindberg – Art Director
Alex Floyd – Associate Copywriter
Zulema Orozco – Group Design Director
Dee Duncan – Design Director
Luis Valencia – Design Director
Damien Girardi – Group Design Director
Steph Wulz – Associate Design Director
Phil DeAngelis – Associate Creative Director
Kristen Cleghorn – Associate Creative Director
Moma Wilwayco – Senior Designer
Ana Andreeva – Senior Designer
Gema Putri – Senior Art Director
Eric Yoon – Senior Copywriter
Angel Delgado – Motion Designer
Darius Kirschner – Innovation Director
Claire Bartosic – Senior Experience Technologist
Wenjun Li – Associate Experience Technologist
Lara Hurnevich – Senior Producer
Kelley Varga – Senior Producer
Alicia Patrick – Senior Digital Producer
Maya Tank – Executive Producer
John Bleeden – Global Executive Creative Producer
Evelyn Santana-Ducos – Senior Producer
Polly Poulos-McCarthy – Senior Business Manager
Rosalyn Otero – Senior Project Manager
Zoë Moss – Manager, Creative Product & Operations
Shawna Ross – Chief Strategy Officer
Brad Alperin – EVP, Integrated Strategy

The Ad Council:
Michelle Hillman – Chief Campaign Development Officer
Ro Patrick – SVP, Group Campaign Director
Allison Palmer Baum – VP, Campaign Director
Kristi Rowe – Consultant
Regan Hill – VP, Strategy and Evaluation
Sammi Fischer – Campaign Manager
Brittany Bloom – Assistant Campaign Manager

Brady:
Kris Brown – President and CEO
Susan Lavington – Chief Operating Officer
Christian Heyne – VP, Policy & Programs
Colleen Creighton – Director, End Family Fire
Jennifer Tinch – Manager, End Family Fire
Priscilla Natkins – Consultant
Cordy Galligan – Consultant

Revival Film
Luis Peña – Director
Stephanie Farmer – Executive Producer
Terry Maxfield – Producer

Media: dentsu X
Post Production: Versus Design
Audio: Found Objects