It is no secret that the United States of America has had countless lives taken and affected by gun violence. There have been numerous mass shootings in the past decade, the most recent in Orlando claiming forty-nine lives. In reaction to these horrifying displays of violence, people all over America have called out for stricter gun laws, including a ban on assault weapons, for the American public. While this has been a great controversy with the legality of such actions coming into question, most people still would like to see changes made to try and reduce the risk of these atrocities occurring. Groups like Moms Demand Action, have begun campaigns to try and raise awareness of this problem and create social change. In their advertisement “Choose One” Moms Demand Action has made a bold statement using various design elements including text, realism, color, and spacing, that the United States government and people must create stricter gun laws in this country, especially when children’s books such as Little Red Riding Hood are banned and assault weapons are not. 

When a viewer first looks at this advertisement there are many elements which grab his or her attention, one of the first being the bold text that is placed in the upper-center of the image. The words are in a bold, thick font which gives the viewer an idea of its importance. This is further exemplified by the white and orange color of the text which is surrounded by black boxes. These black boxes are the darkest items in the image, other than the gun, making them harsh and bold – attracting the viewer’s eye towards words within. The text within the boxes read, “One child is holding something that’s been banned in America to protect them. Guess which one.” These powerful words pose the viewer with a question, one which he or she would believe to be obvious, how could a well-known fairytale be banned and not a gun? It must be the assault weapon in the girl’s hand. But this viewer would be sadly mistaken, for if he or she looked down at the bottom of the image there is more text in a stark white which reads, “We keep “Little Red Riding Hood” out of schools because of the bottle of wine in her basket. Why not assault weapons?” At the end of this shocking statement, the logo of Moms Demand Action, who created this image, is placed. This statement places a whole new idea behind the advertisement, if the United States would keep children from reading a story because it has a bottle of wine in it, assumingly to protect them from potentially harmful material, why would the American public and government not try to protect their children from assault weapons? The fact that a group of moms created this advertisement further addresses its validity, these are the parents of the youth of America who want their children safe at all costs. Is that what the viewer wants? The text of the advertisement addresses the viewer directly and makes he or she really think about his or her morals and beliefs. 

Once the viewer looks past the text, there is a stark use of realism in the image. The advertisement depicts real, young girls within a school library with a gun and a book giving context and perspective as to how the assault weapons could and do impact people. This image may remind the viewer of two infamous shootings, Columbine and Sandy Hook. Both of these horrific crimes took place within schools, one a high school the other an elementary school respectively. The use of the school as a setting demonstrates to those viewing this advertisement that gun violence and mass shootings can occur anywhere, and no one is spared, regardless of age. The use of such young girls further emphasizes this point, they should not have to worry about serious issues such as gun control and whether their lives could be at risk, just like parents should not have to worry for their children. The serious looks on the girls’ faces put into perspective the gravity of this subject. If the viewer looks deeper in the background, he or she could see the nearly empty bookshelves. This design choice could be hinting at the fact that while more and more books, seemingly nonviolent objects, are being taken from schools the chance of assault weapons entering is not diminishing because no laws have changed or put in place. The empty rocking chair adds an eerie sort of feeling on the viewer as well. The lack of adult supervision could be a metaphor for the government, its empty promises regarding gun control has left the country without any guidance and to fend for itself. The American flag in the left side of the image droops sadly in the corner, offering perspective on the country and how it is being left almost on its own while facing the epidemic that is gun violence. The use of realism in this advertisement offers viewers many symbols and ideas to think about while at the same time putting the violence into perspective. The color also further sheds light on the important issue.

The use of color in this advertisement draws the viewer’s eye to the most important item in the image, an assault weapon being held by a little girl. The muted colors of the background of the picture offer a greater sense of importance on the girls in the foreground. The lighting is positioned so that the young girls are the brightest part of the image, this then draws the attention to them, their facial expressions, what they are holding, and the item that is most out of place in the image, the gun. When the viewer looks at the advertisement the expressions on the girls’ faces add to the serious tone of the image, and the way the light hits their eyes enhances that aspect. By using a dull tone of color in the background and using vibrant colored clothing on the little girls and lighting them so brightly, the girls and the items they are holding become the focal points of the piece.

The use of spacing and positioning in this image is very important to the ultimate meaning of the advertisement. The two girls, who are the main focus of this image, are placed in the foreground of the shot in the center of the picture. This placement of the girls warrants their importance to the meaning of the piece, but even more importantly the items in their hands. The young girl on the left holds a children’s picture book, the girl on the right holds an assault weapon. The juxtaposition of the gun and the book is essential for the meaning of the advertisement because one of these items does not belong, and the viewer would assume that it is the gun that is out of place when in reality it is not what has been banned from schools. This spacing of the girls and the contrast of the items in their hands is what creates the horror within the viewer, and maybe will create a feeling that gun laws should be stricter – which is the overall purpose of this advertisement.

Moms Demand Action created an advertisement which instills a shock within viewers about the current gun laws in the country, and how maybe they could benefit from change by the United States government. The use of a girl as the bearer of the gun creates contradiction between her youthfulness and innocence and mass destruction and death which can come from the use of such weapon. This organization of parents are crying out for the protection of their children and loved ones with this campaign. Moms Demand Action like so many others in America want to see the amount gun violence and mass shootings to decrease dramatically, by creating this poster it raises awareness within the public that there needs to be a change. Gun laws in the United States of America must be amended in order for the safety of the public to increase.
