As easy as 1,2,3... PSA highlights threat of 3D gun printing

Stop Handgun Violence (SHV) has launched a new PSA to drive home the dangers of 3D printed firearms, by using eerie 3D images of students under attack by a shooter.

In the spot, created by Arnold Worldwide with the help of production and design studio Lobo and directors Mateus de Paula Santos and Aron Matschulat Aguiar, the camera lingers on models of teenagers, mouths agape in horror and terror, as they attempt to barricade a door and climb through windows to escape. It then pulls back to reveal the full horrifying scene of a mass shooting at a high school, ending with a plea for viewers to contact their congresspeople to drive forward national legislative action. 

With high-quality 3D printers becoming more accessible, so are the weapons of mass destruction they are able to create. While, thankfully, no real incidents from 3D guns have yet materialized, SHV aims to be more proactive than reactive. 

“While 3D printers were billed as tech for good, the sad reality is that they are proving that they can also be a deadly path toward imminent danger,” says Arnold's Chief Creative Officer, Icaro Doria. “With 3D printers in homes, offices, and even at some local public libraries, ill-intentioned people have high-tech tools to make deadly weapons at their disposal without detection by law enforcement.”