NC S.A.F.E. Campaign

Across the state of North Carolina, there is an urgent need for firearm owners to safely store their firearms. According to a 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, 42% of North Carolina adults have a firearm in or around their home, and over half of firearms that are stored loaded are also unlocked. A 2019 study in JAMA Pediatrics estimated that up to 32% of youth firearm deaths by suicide and unintentional firearm injury could be prevented through safe storage of firearms in homes with youths. Gun theft — particularly from vehicles—is also on the rise across the state.

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) recognized a need to educate North Carolinians about this issue in order to reduce child access to firearms and reduce theft of firearms across the state. NCDPS brought in Reingold to develop a campaign from the ground up that would, through a variety of communication channels, raise awareness of the need for safe storage, educate North Carolinians about what constitutes safe storage, and encourage gun owners to secure their firearms.

In just over three months, the Reingold team developed the campaign name, all branding elements, educational materials (in English and Spanish), three toolkits (also in English and Spanish), a website, PSAs, a paid advertising campaign and creative, and social media channels. All of this launched in mid-May in order to finalize partnerships and plan a series of events for the NC S.A.F.E. Week of Action, which took place the first week in June 2023.

Since the launch of the campaign, over 100 partner organizations have come on board to help spread the message of safe firearm storage, along with actual gun locks provided by the campaign. The North Carolina Governor has participated in the 2023 and 2024 NC S.A.F.E. Week of Action, and the campaign continues to reach diverse audiences across the state.