Change The Ref - The Lost Class (2021)

How do you force pro-gun advocates to reckon with the consequences of their punditry?

3,044 MEMBERS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2021 WHO WERE KILLED BY GUNS. Change The Ref is making sure these victims are not forgotten, and forced pro-gun legislators and proponents to face the consequences of their policies by creating “The Lost Class.”

Graduation day is intended to represent potential and achievement. For this group of students, though, it has become a day to wonder what the rest of their lives would have been like. Although people in The Lost Class have had their futures ripped away, they may still make a difference in America's future by urging the government to impose universal background checks on gun sales.
On June 4, 2021, Change The Ref invited former NRA President David Keene and prominent economist and gun advocate John Lott to speak at the graduation of James Madison Academy, a fictional institution they created. As Keene and Lott walked on stage to face 3,044 empty chairs, each representing a would-be graduate of the class of 2021 who lost their life to gun violence, they were forced to face the consequences head-on. 

Change the Ref was founded by the parents of Joaquin Oliver, a student killed at Parkland shooting. Their mission at Change the Ref is to raise awareness about mass shootings through creativity in order to reduce the influence of the NRA on the Federal level. By bringing the NRA’s corrupt maneuvers to buy lawmakers into focus, we hope to inspire solutions which are essential to healing mass shooting victims’, survivors’ and their families’ lifelong grief. To accomplish this mission, we strive to empower the youth, our future leaders, so they can be the change makers on critical issues that affect our nation, through education, conversation, and activism. 
The Lost Class’ graduation gift, a petition to demand that lawmakers take action in requiring universal background checks, is available at ChangeTheRef.org.

Agency Network: Leo Burnett
Holding Company: Publicis Groupe
Production Company: Hungry Man, Los Angeles, CA
Advertiser Brand: Change the Ref, Inc., Coral Springs, FL
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett Chicago, Chicago, IL
Web Development Company: Unicorns & Unicorns, Los Angeles, CA
Editing Company: No. 6, New York City, NY
Color Studio: Primary, Santa Monica, CA
Music, Mix & Sound Design Company: Beacon Street, Venice, CA
Public Relations Agency: Tusk Strategies, New York City, NY
Public Relations Agency: MSL, Chicago, IL
Photographer: Neil Dacosta, Portland, OR
Activist/Co-Founder: Manuel Oliver / Change the Ref, Inc.
Activist/Co-Founder: Patricia Oliver / Change the Ref, Inc.
Global Chief Creative Officer of Leo Burnett Worldwide & Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Creative North America : Liz Taylor / Leo Burnett Worldwide
CEO: Andrew Swinand  / Leo Burnett Chicago
EVP, Executive Creative Director: Sam Shepherd  / Leo Burnett Chicago
VP, Creative Director (Art): Sean Hannaway  / Leo Burnett Chicago
VP, Design Director: Kyle Poff  / Leo Burnett Chicago
Associate Creative Director: Jason LaFlore  / Leo Burnett Chicago
Associate Creative Director: Matt Turnier  / Leo Burnett Chicago
Copywriter:  MacKenzie Hart / Leo Burnett Chicago
Art Director: Sofia Gahn / Leo Burnett Chicago
Junior Copywriter: Kelley Barrett  / Leo Burnett Chicago
Junior Art Director: Katie DiNardo  / Leo Burnett Chicago
EVP, Head of Production: Mike Davidson  / Leo Burnett Chicago
SVP, Executive Producer: Ashley Geisheker  / Leo Burnett Chicago
Associate Producer: Kaitlin Bucaro  / Leo Burnett Chicago
SVP, Director, Production Operations: Michael Shanahan  / Leo Burnett Chicago
Production Manager: Julie Lewandowski  / Leo Burnett Chicago
VP, Account Director: Amy Walloch  / Leo Burnett Chicago
Head of Planning: Kaylin Goldstein  / Leo Burnett Chicago
VP, Strategy Director: Nimisha Jain  / Leo Burnett Chicago
Strategist: Sean Logan  / Leo Burnett Chicago
Creative Resource Director: Nancy Parnell  / Leo Burnett Chicago
Associate Creative Resource Director Phoebe Alvarez  / Leo Burnett Chicago
Director: Bryan Buckley / Hungry Man
Producer: Matt Lefebvre / Hungry Man
Producer: Jordan Cohen / Hungry Man
Executive Producer: Caleb Dewart / Hungry Man
Executive Producer: Mino Jarjoura / Hungry Man
Director of Photography : Scott Henriksen / Hungry Man
Executive Producer: Adrianne McCurrach  / Unicorns & Unicorns
Producer: Meg Amicucci / Unicorns & Unicorns
Technical Creative Director : Sun Komen / Unicorns & Unicorns
Associate Creative Director : Ceara Adamson / Unicorns & Unicorns
Development : Danny Wirick / Unicorns & Unicorns
Editor: Jason Macdonald / No. 6
Editor: JK Carrington / No. 6
Editor: Ryan Bukowski / No. 6
Editor: Chris VanDyke / No. 6
Assistant Editor: Grace Yang / No. 6
Assistant Editor: Riley Donigan / No. 6
Resolve Finisher : Maxwell Redinger / No. 6
Executive Producer: Corina Dennison / No. 6
Founder/ECD : Phil Crowe / Parliament
Colorist: Gregory Reese / Primary
Color Assistant: Corey Martinez / Primary
Color Assistant: David Oh  / Primary
Producer: Jenny Bright  / Primary
Executive Producer: Thatcher Peterson  / Primary
Music: Andrew Feltenstein / Beacon Street
Music: John Nau  / Beacon Street
Executive Producer: Leslie Dilullo   / Beacon Street
Mixer: Rommel Molina  / Beacon Street
Producer: Lindsey Lerman  / Beacon Street
Head of Communications and Managing Director : Jackie Zupsic / Tusk Strategies
Senior Vice President : Baxter Townsend / Tusk Strategies
Account Supervisor, Corporate Reputation: Adam Skaf / MSL
VP, Corporate Reputation: Kappie Kopp / MSL

Press: Reel Chicago, Washington Post, USA Today