Prepare for Misuse

Today the Ad Council and Brady launch the newest addition to the life-saving End Family Fire campaign, “Prepare for Misuse.” The new public service advertisements (PSAs) evolve the campaign’s longtime focus on the dangers of unsecured guns by depicting the broad range of gun violence—including unintentional shootings, firearm suicide, and intentional shootings—that can be prevented through safe gun storage. The PSAs, which will appear nationwide, include a series of digital and TV spots and out-of-home (OOH) created pro bono by creative and media agency McKinney.

Family fire refers to a shooting caused by someone having access to a gun from the home when they shouldn’t have it. In the U.S., 42% of adults live in a firearm-owning household, with 4.6 million children living in homes with unlocked and loaded guns. Access to a firearm also triples the risk of death by suicide. As the new PSAs state, 76% of school shooters access their firearm from the home. In a moment of crisis, safe firearm storage can prevent fatal outcomes, including unintentional shootings, suicides, and mass shootings.

“This latest effort from End Family Fire taps into the wider ramifications that an unsecured gun can have in a way our campaign has never done before,” said Kris Brown, President, Brady. “For the first time, we have expanded our effort to show the impact of unsecured firearms being misused both inside and now outside of the home, like in a school. Our aim with this initiative is to motivate gun owners across the country to prevent the tragedy of family fire, and we hope these new PSAs inspire people to take action within their homes to protect their loved ones.”

In the new PSAs, a gun is shown being insecurely kept in a bedroom nightstand. Each spot explores a different scenario of how the unsecured gun in the home could result in a fatal death. Whether it be a young child unintentionally shooting a parent, a minor taking the gun to school, or an individual dying by gun suicide, the series of spots encompass all the different types of family fire — gun suicide, unintentional, and intentional shootings. To end each spot, a message on how to securely store your gun to prevent misuse is shared, stating that guns should be stored “locked, unloaded, and away from ammunition.”

This campaign brings awareness to the issue of family fire, gives owners a role in gun violence prevention, and encourages a national dialogue around safe firearm storage practices — all of which are proven strategies to prevent tragedies of family fire, which contribute to America’s gun violence epidemic. According to an Ad Council study, more than half of gun owners or adults in gun-owning households who are aware of the End Family Fire campaign report that they have taken steps to store their firearms more safely (Data source: Ad Council online survey of 1,816 U.S. adults who reside in gun-owning households, fielded by Ipsos October 1, 2022-December 31, 2022).