Best Change the Ref Campaigns of All Time
Change the Ref was founded on the specific, devastating logic that the people most qualified to argue gun policy are the ones who no longer can. They make advocacy advertising that refuses to behave like advocacy advertising - using stunts and spectacle to put a silenced voice back in the room. The work is precise, high-stakes, and almost impossible to ignore. Browse it below.
4 campaigns
Statiums
2026By mapping gun violence casualty data onto World Cup stadium seating charts, the campaign transformed abstract, overwhelming statistics into a tangible, visceral reality, reframing the act of voting as a necessary step to reclaim public spaces from gun violence.
Change the Ref · Alma Miami
30Under30
2025Change the Ref hijacked the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 summit by distributing a magazine honoring 30 young lives lost to gun violence, forcing a conversation about accountability by mirroring the format used to celebrate elite professional success.
Change the Ref · Founders Agency
The Final Exam
2024Change the Ref flipped the script on politicians who blame video games for violence by creating a survival horror game where players must collect real-world gun legislation to survive a school shooting, turning a scapegoated medium into a legislative tool.
Change the Ref · Energy BBDO Chicago
Change the Ref - The Unfinished Votes
2018Change the Ref created a powerful campaign using AI to digitally resurrect Joaquin Oliver, a victim of gun violence, to encourage unregistered voters to participate in elections. By bringing back Joaquin as a digital persona, the campaign aimed to transform his unfinished life into a message about voting and gun safety.
Change the Ref · McCann Health (New York)