March For Our Lives has released a new public service announcement video titled ‘Generation Lockdown’.
Following the 20 year anniversary of the Columbine High School Shooting, the video offers a stark reminder of the dangerous environment today’s students face in schools across the country.
The PSA features a young girl instructing adults on how they would survive an active shooter event.
The campaign offers a moving look at what students deal with and how schools have had to respond to the very real threat of gun violence.
It is estimated that 95 per cent of school kids (in the US) — some as young as five — are now trained on what to do during an active shooter situation because they have to be prepared for it at any minute, in any community.
In 2017, nearly 40,000 people were killed due to gun violence.
The video ends with a call for viewers to support federal legislation to put universal background checks in place for the purchase of firearms.
The PSA follows the recent April 15th launch of a two-week Times Square ad campaign centered on gun violence prevention.
March For Our Lives’ Times Square billboard ads are estimated to reach 5.5 million people as the organization seeks to garner support for legislation to pass background checks, extreme-risk protection orders (ERPO’s), safe-storage laws, and other life-saving measures.
The campaign was born from McCann New York Aussie creative directors Alex Little and Karsten Jurschat.
Little said: “There’s two different reactions when you talk about active shooter drills over here — adults say, ‘holy shit’ and kids ‘yeah, no shit’.
“Generation Lockdown speaks to the parents and politicians who are oblivious to what’s happening in schools but can support laws like the Background Check Expansion Act and stop dangerous people buying guns.
“Kids are politically powerless, but this film gives them a massive voice.”
Jurkschat added: “Kayleigh is the bravest kids we’ve met. She’s not an actor. She’s never been in a PSA.
“She’s simply a kid who goes to school and is forced to learn to lockdown drills like millions of other kids.
“When she walked out in that office and started speaking, we knew we had something special.”
