This case describes how advertising about school shootings cut through for the Sandy Hook Promise charity, which trains people to detect warning signs in individuals planning to carry out gun violence. An emotive TV spot began with a traditional ‘back to school’ storyline before showing how gun violence had become normalised for US schoolchildren. Print, Outdoor, social media and radio ads adapted the theme. The ads generated media coverage worth $7.6m, and spikes in searches and social media mentions. Evidence is presented of other impacts from increased numbers of SHP trainees to donations and bi-partisan political support.