Change the Ref calls on other countries to save American kids from gun violence

America can’t seem to get its gun problem under control, as gun violence is the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. The child and teen mortality rate from gun violence is 28.6% higher in the U.S. than in comparable nations, according to KKF. That jarring reality is the focus of a new campaign from anti-gun violence organization Change the Ref. Created by Atlantic New York and Stream and Tough Guy in Lisbon, “Save Us from America” invites other countries to adopt American children and save them from America’s guns. A series of out-of-home ads in the style of newspaper ads feature AI-generated images of children that urge readers to “Adopt an American Child.” Posters launched on Tuesday in Paris, Madrid, London and Lisbon, Portugal read, “The USA can’t save its children from gun violence, so we turn this plea to other countries: Please save these children from the USA. Consider adopting an American child.” The poignant campaign comes six years after Change the Ref founders Manuel and Patricia Oliver lost their son Joaquin to a school shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2018. It will continue to roll out in select markets globally. “After six years of begging, demanding, and suggesting options to minimize gun violence in our country, we have run out of entities that might be able to help. The nation has become desensitized to the absurd reality of innocent people getting shot because a group of politicians decided to sell their souls to the gun industry,” said Manuel and Patricia Oliver. “Today, we call for international attention with the main intention of revealing a corrupt system that glorifies guns above all else.” An online video showing portraits of children in a typical yearbook picture (above) will run on YouTube, organic social and a campaign landing page.

Change the Ref calls on other countries to save American kids from gun violence

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