(Situation)

In the last 15 years over 30 000 Americans have died in gun-violence before graduating high school. For many today, however, 30 000 is just another statistic is a debate that continues to divide a nation. In a feature on the campaign, New York Times wrote: “Gun-violence is so political, we sometimes forget that it´s also personal”. This quote accurately summarizes the context in which the project was born.

(Brief)

With the up-coming election, gun control is a topic that needs to be addressed more than ever. Our aim was to create a petition that in itself personalized the tragic consequences of gun-violence and gave Americans a chance to speak up, and sign, for change.

(Objectives)

The objective was to emotionally emphasize the importance of stricter gun laws and background-checks, to put pressure on Congress, and to give New Yorkers Against Gun Violence a powerful platform in the debate.

We created a posthumous yearbook for all the students who never got the chance to be in one. The book was designed just like a regular yearbook, but contained pictures of victims of gun-violence. With a digital signature at signtheiryearbook.com you could leave your condolences, but also demand change for the future, since the book itself doubled as an official petition to legislate universal background checks on gun-purchases. The site was a simple call-to-action, and the signatures were then packaged in a physical yearbook and moreover petition. On the 8th of September the yearbook was handed over to Congress, bringing a close to a 6-week campaign period consisting solely of the website, PR and earned media. The book itself was created in close collaboration with the parents and relatives of the victims featured in the yearbook.