Would You Wear A Bulletproof Vest Grocery Shopping?
By The Minneapolis Egotist / /
Minneapolis ad agency Preston Spire’s “New Life Vest” campaign for Change the Ref presents a new wardrobe need for our new normal
Minneapolis advertising agency Preston Spire is launching a provocative public service campaign to address the issue of gun violence and the epidemic of mass shootings by encouraging people to don “The New Life Vest”—a bulletproof vest—as they go about their daily lives.
The New Life Vest campaign was created by Preston Spire for Change the Ref, a nonprofit that advocates for the eradication of gun violence. Change the Ref was founded by Manuel and Patricia Oliver, parents of Joaquin, who was a victim in the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
The multi-tiered campaign included a recent high-visibility pop-up clothing rack display that Preston Spire activated across Minneapolis-St. Paul where Manuel and Patricia asked passersby to try on The New Life Vest. Preston Spire also created a spoof public service announcement, plus grimly sardonic social media creative seen on the New Life Vest Instagram and online at www.thenewlifevest.org.
“The New Life Vest spotlights an absurd but sadly reasonable concept that in our current society, where mass shootings are happening on a regular basis, it makes sense to wear a bulletproof vest as we go about our daily routines,” says Brett Essman, Creative Director at Preston Spire. “Our aim with the New Life Vest is to draw further attention to this reality and ultimately spark real change from the policymakers.”
Change the Ref founders have been wearing the New Life Vests as they make other appearances across the country.
“Our country is facing a critical epidemic of gun violence, and if the near-daily mass shootings aren’t enough of a wake-up call, then it’s time we all start wearing a bulletproof vest to try to stay alive,” says Manuel Oliver. “The bottom line is we need to fight against the terrible options of either carrying the weight of the loss of a loved one due to a mass shooting or carrying an extra 20 pounds of protection with you.”
About Change the Ref
Change The Ref (CTR), was formed to empower Future Leaders. CTR gives the kids of today the tools they need to be empowered to make changes to critical issues that affect our nation, through education, conversation, and activism. It uses urban art and nonviolent creative confrontation to expose the disastrous effects of the mass shooting pandemic. Change The Ref’s ultimate goal is to give the young generation of survivors and victims a disrupting voice to help lead the way to change–and a more peaceful future.
About Preston Spire
Preston Spire makes brands positively matter by creating experiences so meaningful they are welcome in people’s lives. We build businesses by finding a brand’s authentic purpose and emotionally engaging consumers with work driven by the belief that Good Wins. We have seamless collaboration across our multiple in-house disciplines: account planning/research; advertising; brand strategy; media; design; direct; digital; public relations; and social marketing. Preston Spire has consistently been among the U.S. top agencies in the Effie Effectiveness Index.
To learn more about Preston Spire, visit prestonspire.com and on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Credits:
CEO: Jennifer Spire
CCO/CW: Chris Preston
CD/AD: Brett Essman
CW: Zoey Preston
Sr. Designer: Fernando Palomino
Associate Director, Digital Experience: Jessa Diebel
Studio Designer: Mike Fritz
Executive Producer: Lisa Thotland
Print Producer: Beth Elmore
Production Company: MANUFACTURE / Plural Films
Photographer: Steve Holm
Music: Echo Boys / Grey Ghost
Edit: Ditch / Irei Edit / Michel Paredes
[Images and videos courtesy of Preston Spire.]
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