OSCE SALW national awareness campaign - Choose the courage to be gun free!

Uncontrolled influence and possession of firearms continues to present a major challenge to Albania’s public safety.

Over the years, many cases of unauthorized firearm possession have been reported. Statistics show that in Albania, over the past 5 years, there have been 1,737 incidents involving firearms, including 132 women who lost their lives due to gun violence.

To address the significant issue, the OSCE project supporting the state authorities of the Republic of Albania to reduce the risk of proliferation and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) entrusted McCann Tirana for a national awareness campaign, with the aim to inform the public about the risks of firearms and to provide necessary legal and regulatory information about the consequences of the illegal use of firearms.

Through this campaign, we aimed to challenge the common perception of firearms as symbols of strength and power. Since owning firearms is often seen as a sign of courage and strength, it can be challenging to resist this norm and choose to be unarmed.

The campaign’s main message:” Choose the courage to be gun free”- emphasized that true strength lies in making the right choice following the right path and embrace a culture of safety and peace.

The campaign started with a teaser using social media videos that presented data about the risks and statistics of firearm use. These videos emphasized that the data belonged to sensitive content, conveying the message that even if the violence is not visible, it continues to happen if proper measures are not taken to stop it.

The launch of the campaign conveyed the main message through a song specially created for the cause. Music, which remains easily in the memory, aims to create a note of change in the listeners. The genre of rap music was born from creative writing, as a form of free expression, but often this genre is misinterpreted and associated with violence. Therefore, the campaign chooses exactly this form of expression, challenging stereotypes and promoting the strength and courage to say no to guns. The song created by the famous singer Big Basta under the creative concept of McCann Tirana, brings the message of the campaign through art, encouraging young people to change the tune and choose a better life.

The campaign utilized an integrated media mix, including social media, TV, radio, Spotify, and will be extended through concrete awareness-raising activities in local communities, where Civil Society Organizations and Local Public Safety Councils are significantly contributing. It terms of audience reach our campaign generated so far more than 440,000 accounts reach in Social Media and Spotify, +1,500,000 viewers in TV and +380,000 listeners in YouTube.