Gun violence in South Africa, especially in areas like the Western Cape, is a major crisis fuelled by gang activity, illegal firearms, and inadequate gun control enforcement. Stray bullets frequently injure or kill, making everyday activities like playing outside life-threatening. Bulletproof Park forced the country to confront just how deep the crisis runs and how urgently it needs to change.

Gun Free South Africa works to reduce gun violence by advocating for stricter firearm regulations, removing illegal guns from circulation and promoting safer communities. “When Gun Free SA approached us we knew we needed to bring attention to the deadly issue of gun violence, showing South Africans what the future may hold if gun violence isn’t addressed, by proposing an outrageous solution to an even more outrageous problem,” says Executive Creative Director Jake Bester.

“Bullet Proof Park is a world first. The idea is shocking in its stark honesty – how would children feel having to play within the confines of this bullet proof play park? If that question feels uncomfortable, let’s consider how children feel now with no protection? This issue absolutely had to be on the election agenda for residents living in fear in these areas,” explains JP. Le Riche, Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel.

“The campaign successfully blended experiential storytelling with compelling visuals, making the issue impossible to ignore. By evoking strong emotions and sparking conversations, it not only raised awareness but also drove action, proving that creativity is most effective when it connects deeply with people’s values and everyday realities,” adds JP

Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel Delano Chengan explains, “To maximise impact, strategic shock value was employed – provoking outrage, disbelief, and urgency to move the conversation beyond passive concern to active demand for change. The campaign leveraged earned media, social media, and PR to extend reach, ensuring a national presence.”

The campaign started on April 4, 2024, and is an ongoing effort.  Thus far, it has provoked responses from key figures, including the Provincial Minister of Community Safety, the South African National Police Commissioner, and even influenced President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, where he addressed gun violence directly, many of these reactions using language from the campaign itself.

The effort produced 105 individual pieces of media coverage, reaching almost 100-million people nationally, which equates to roughly reaching every South African twice. The campaign achieved R13-million in earned media, with public interest surging 700%, while engagement with news articles averaged at around 4,600 for each story. And it drove impact on the ground, with 60 new gun-free zones established across the country!