In 2020, Change the Ref launched Ballots Against Bullets, a campaign exposing politicians who failed to reduce gun violence. The campaign superimposed voter ballots over crime scene images from mass shootings, with bullet holes checking the boxes for politicians in office when the shooting took place, and who failed to prevent the crime through gun reform.

In 2022, we once again set out to remind voters of the importance of gun reform, and encouraged them to not re-elect pro-gun politicians. Following the first edition’s success, the bar for creativity and impact was already high, so it was important this work pushed the conversation forward. The creative approach had to look new and shock voters with the same message.

The goal was to continue driving awareness around why gun policies matters during voting, while highlighting politicians who have historically failed to support measures reducing gun violence in the U.S.

We used our platform to remind voters that they could fight gun violence through their vote.

The 2022 midterms were critical– it marked the highest record for voter turnout in a midterm election according to the Census Bureau, which means we were talking to the largest group of midterm voters ever. And support for gun control in this election increased by 11% compared to the previous midterm election in 2018.

In this record-breaking political climate, the results were positive. At state and local levels, Gen-Z candidates that ran campaigns centered on gun reform were elected, including 25-year-old Democrat Maxwell Frost, who was elected to Florida’s 10th Congressional District, which includes Orlando, the site of the Pulse Nightclub mass shooting in 2016.

And while these results mark a step forward, there is still a long way to go. That’s why the continuous work of brands like Change the Ref is crucial.

Gun culture has unfortunately become synonymous with American culture— and that’s no surprise. In 2022, there were 647 mass shootings in America, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

With the insight that the 2022 U.S. Midterm elections would be an important battleground for gun reform, Change the Ref set out remind voters of the importance of the gun reform cause.

The prints addressed an issue that has become one of America’s most heated political discussions.

The campaign aimed to raise awareness among the voting population in the states of Florida, Texas and Georgia, where pro-gun candidates are often elected. The campaign exposed politicians who had been in office during mass shootings, yet failed to support gun reform.

Change the Ref is an anti-gun non-profit organization founded by the parents of Joaquin Oliver, a victim of the 2019 Parkland High School mass shooting in Florida.