How marketers turned Trump's ear bandage into an anti-gun violence symbol

The ear bandage, an unlikely yet powerful symbol, has taken on a life of its own. 

First worn by former President Donald Trump in the days following an attempted assassination in mid-July, it has been repurposed by a coalition of artists into a bold statement on the public health threat posed by gun violence. 

For Neon, an IPG Health company, and Artist for Action, the ear bandage isn’t just a mark of survival; it’s a haunting reminder that, unlike the former president, many aren’t so lucky. 

The campaign, which was launched a few weeks after the assassination attempt and features AI-generated images of children wearing ear bandages, offers a chilling message: “Not everyone is that lucky.”

As is the case in modern American politics, the presidential campaign has largely continued unabated. The attempted assassination no longer dominates the headlines like it did two months ago. However, the gun violence epidemic and its pronounced impact on children in America won’t go away. 

Just last week, four people were killed in a mass shooting at a high school in Georgia, the deadliest school shooting of 2024, so far

This campaign highlights some of the grim gun violence statistics in a public health context, including that every day in the U.S., 12 children die from gun violence, while another 32 are shot and injured. 

AFA launched one year ago and has, until this campaign, primarily focused on recruiting supporters like Sheryl Crow, Billie Eilish, Peter Gabriel and others to perform at concerts focused on gun violence. 

The impetus for the campaign was born with several creatives at Neon, who presented Jesse Kates, MD and creative lead at the agency, with the concept.  “It was a few days after the attempted assassination,” he shares. “I was just gut punched by it. I thought it was something that had to be out into the world.” 

AFA cofounder Matthew Reich had a similar reaction, describing the blunt, visceral nature of the campaign’s creative assets.

“It’s so on point and direct in a way that I haven’t seen in other campaigns,” he says. “I noted, ‘This is clear and direct.’ That’s what you look for when you try to get messaging out.”

The bold imagery, of course, will also likely provoke strong reactions. Still, that’s part of its appeal, according to Reich, who says there isn’t any “wishy washiness” about it. 

“You knew exactly what it was when you saw it,” he says. “Nobody is immune to gun violence. Whether you’re the president of the United States or a child going to school.”

The emotionally sensitive and politically charged nature of gun violence is nearly inescapable in the U.S. Shootings spur an intense reaction among the general public, whether the violence takes place in Butler, Pennsylvania against a former president or at Apalachee High School in Georgia, the site of the most recent school shooting.

Kates says that while there is widespread awareness of the issue of firearm violence in America, this campaign has a different end goal altogether. 

“The purpose of this campaign is to provoke enough of an emotional response so that people take action,” he says.

When it comes to the visuals, the use of AI to create the campaign imagery was driven more by a need for speed than a concern with cost. 

Kates says the agency worked with its partners at Getty Images to research the right AI prompts and generate the images in an appropriate, timely manner. 

From there, AFA turned to its sizable network of artists. Since launching last month, musical luminaries like Nile Rodgers, Sofi Tukker, Rufus Wainwright and Rozzi have shared the images on their respective social media feeds. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers)

To get meaningful action, Reich says, the images have to start a conversation. Getting all of these artists involved on social media at and live events is a productive first step to foster a dialogue around preventing gun violence.

Meanwhile, Kates uses fewer words to sum up his hope for the Not So Lucky campaign: “I want people to be disturbed enough to do something.”

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This story first appeared on Campaign's sister publication MM+M.