Daniel Correa from alma DDB: This year we aimed for a more emotional message with Bullets Against Ballots and it was more powerful

Daniel Correa, creative director at alma DDB, talked about the successful Change The Ref campaign, Bullets Against Ballots , which in its new version Survivors (survivors) won a silver Cannes Lions in the Print & Publishing category; two of bronzes, one in Industry Craft for the three pieces that make up the proposal, and one in Outdoors. The initiative, as its name indicates: ‘votes against bullets’, aims to denounce the constant shootings that occur in the US with the purpose of motivating voters to support stricter gun control laws in the country. . Carrera explained that the intention of the campaign is to teach people to vote more consciously. “And for this to be possible, you have to vote for political candidates who also want to change the laws,” he said. “The angle is that if we want to change something, have stronger laws, we have to change the politicians, so this campaign comes with this premise, to encourage people to vote for candidates who want to do this. What we did was expose these candidates who oppose tougher gun laws,” he added. The first version of Bullets Against Ballots was released in 2021 and featured bullet holes left at shooting locations thanks to significant investigative work with the police. “These photos were also impressive, because you put a voice in that place,” said Correa. “This year we went a little more on the emotional side, but also more impressive because I think seeing these wounds is very powerful,” said Correa. “We talked to the survivors about what they felt when it happened, the drama, the fear. And I think this touches people too.” The Survivors version exposes the bodies of victims of attacks and on top of those wounds voting cells were placed marking the names of politicians who do not support the stricter gun control laws. “That’s where the concept of ‘your vote can become a bullet’ or ‘ your ballot can become a bullet ‘ comes from. Then your vote can be transformed into a bullet, because if you are voting for a candidate who does not want these stricter laws, more shootings may occur and more of these images will be seen,” Correa explained. For Correa, the powerful thing about this campaign is the visual part. “One knows that the shootings are happening a lot, but when you see the people who survived and the marks that these attacks leave on their bodies, this generates something inside you. And I think this is the most impressive thing about this campaign, it makes it real and the print , when you have a visual and it’s 100% real”. Correa highlighted the close and friendly relationship they have with the founder of Change The Ref and his wife, Manuel and Patricia Oliver, who lost their son Joaquín in a shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. “Manuel is a creative, makes murals. So we always sit down and talk about everything, brainstorm and put it together. He is very responsive, trusts us 100% and motivates me a lot. (…) The passion and the purpose that it has touched me a lot, to the point that today I have this as my purpose as well”. “Obviously, he [Manuel] understands a lot of the spirit of what Change the REF wants to do, and we understand it too, so there is no frustration, we are the agency and the client making an objective” he highlighted.