Teddy Bear Becomes a Sad Symbol for the Horrors of Gun Violence

The metaphor's all too familiar

Last week, Change the Ref made a pointed plea against gun violence, printing the “thoughts and prayers” of politicians (reacting ineffectually to mass shootings) on toilet paper rolls.

Today, Sandy Hook Promise takes a different tack to deliver its firearm safety message, casting a teddy bear in a role no toy should ever have to play.

The film, which some viewers might find upsetting, ultimately makes the point that no child should ever die in a hail of bullets. Every human being deserves a chance to live, learn and strive safely as they reach for their potential.

Long-time SHP partner BBDO New York developed the approach; Smuggler’s Henry-Alex Rubin directed. That trio won a pair of Emmy Awards for earlier anti-gun campaigns.

“This year’s PSA centers around the notion that kids deserve to be kids,” says an SHP rep. “The ‘Teddy Bear’ concept juxtaposes the carefree nature and wonder that childhood is supposed to hold with the devastating reality of gun violence.”

Indeed, it’s a powerful symbol of innocence lost, heartbreakingly familiar from countless news reports from victim memorials through the years. The clip uses such real-life tribute footage to amp up its emotional impact.

Teddy bears hold personal significance for SHP co-CEO Nicole Hockley, who received several of the toys after her son Dylan died in the December 14, 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. All told, 20 children and six adult staffers lost their lives that day.