Instagram forbids retailers to run ads that promote the sale or use of firearms. But, there is a loophole. Gun companies can benefit from influencers already glamorizing weapons on social media.

Our goal is to let unaware users know who the people behind these posts are and the shady tactics they use to promote firearms on social media. In addition, we aimed to get anti-gun advocates to demand stricter social media regulations on influencers shamelessly marketing firearms.

The influencers’ images promoting weapons were reposted by replacing the original gun-related tags with handles from accounts we created. Every tagged account detailed mass shootings perpetrated by that very same type of firearm, which each influencer showcased in their original post.

It's no surprise that the influence of gun culture in America is at its strongest in social media since it's where conversations on the most critical issues facing society now take place.

Our targets were gun advocates and users who were unaware of the firearms tactics used by influencers to skirt the marketing rules on social media. By calling out these influencers' shady maneuvers, we used their own post against them.

Using Instagram, a platform used to showcase one's life through images, we put into perspective how the actions committed by these so-called 'influencers' are negatively impacting the lives of others through permissive firearms marketing tactics.

Our campaign lived on Instagram where we reposted and tagged images of irresponsible 'influencers' glamorizing weapons to unmask their shady tactics in social media.

In order to tag those images, we created Instagram accounts based on mass shootings perpetrated by the very same type of firearms the influencers showcased in their original posts.

1. +9% new followers who joined the movement

2. +115% increase in the reach of our gun reform message

3. +43% increase in engagement around one of the most important issues in America