We used a unique opportunity that arose within America’s Pastime to make a powerful statement about one of America’s largest social issues. This activation created an entirely new form of media, turning a cardboard cutout into a billboard for gun control.

In the summer of 2020, Major League Baseball teams allowed fans to buy cardboard images of themselves and have them occupy seats in stadiums during games. We wanted to use this unique opportunity to make a powerful statement and generate attention around the issue of gun control and the politicians who ignore it. So, we partnered with gun violence awareness organization Change the Ref to sneak one lifelong baseball fan into 15 stadiums he’d never get a chance to see again.

There’s nothing better than going to a baseball game on a warm, summer day. Unfortunately, Joaquin Oliver will never get to experience that joy again, because Joaquin was murdered in the 2018 Parkland school shooting. In a partnership with Change the Ref, we helped Joaquin visit 15 different Major League Baseball stadiums as a cardboard cutout in an effort to shine a light on gun control. Timed to run right before the US elections, this idea cost approximately $1,000 to create and garnered over 2B media impressions.

Our target was simple: Americans. And to get them talking about gun control, we leveraged a unique opportunity within America’s Pastime. We decided to place Joaquin’s cutout in as many baseball stadiums as possible—despite the Major League Baseball submission guidelines saying that political statements weren’t allowed.

From August to October, Joaquin’s cutout made it into 15 different ballparks across the country. A video was also posted to YouTube covering the activation, which got 1.1M views.

Joaquin’s story got picked up by Good Morning America, ABC News, Los Angeles Times, ESPN News, MLB.com and Yahoo! Sports. The Toronto Blue Jays baseball team joined in, placing Joaquin’s cutout in the front row of their stadium for maximum visibility. Several Major League Baseball players shared the campaign on social, including Oakland A’s pitcher Jesus Luzardo. Additionally, an anonymous doner donated $30,000 to Change the Ref.

The campaign in total garnered over 2B media impressions and created national conversation around the gun control issue and the need to vote out the politicians who ignore it. And most importantly, it was a poignant reminder that our children are made of flesh and blood, not cardboard.