Targets - Are We Next | Clapboard Ad Archive

Targets is a stark and urgent film campaign launched in the United States in 2019 by BooneOakley for the public interest brand Are We Next, timed to mark the 20th anniversary of the Columbine shooting and to confront the ongoing crisis of gun violence in schools. The campaign utilizes what Clapboard’s taxonomy identifies as FORMAT#3—Symbolize the Problem—eschewing direct depictions of violence or trauma in favor of a powerful metaphor that positions students as literal targets, embodying the pervasive threat that gun violence poses to youth in educational environments today. This symbolic framing amplifies the emotional resonance of the campaign by highlighting the normalization of fear and the distressing routine of active shooter drills and lockdowns, which have become an unsettling backdrop to daily school life. Are We Next, a coalition of students and parents, rejects the ineffective cycle of thoughts and prayers, demanding concrete legislative reforms to gun laws as the only viable path to safer schools and communities. The single film asset distills this complex social issue into a compelling call to action that mobilizes public awareness and support for meaningful change. The campaign’s creative strategy avoids celebrity endorsements, direct testimony, or narrative resolution, instead relying on the visceral impact of symbolism to communicate urgency and galvanize viewers toward advocacy. BooneOakley’s execution creates a poignant contrast between the innocence of students and the harsh reality of their vulnerability, which reinforces the brand’s mission to challenge complacency and provoke a national conversation on gun control reform. Clapboard rates this campaign 63/100 in its global creative archive. Targets matters to the industry because it demonstrates how public service communications can harness symbolism to elevate social issues beyond immediate shock value, fostering sustained engagement with causes that demand legislative action.