I am an ad man, which means I have developed the ability to see any product or service the way the customer or potential buyer sees it. It’s my J-O-B to do so, no matter how unsavory the job can be at times.
I will now apply this lens to the marketing of assault weapons.
What you just witnessed was the awesome power of the American-made take on the original Russian AK-47. According to its manufacturer, Kalashnikov USA, their guns are:
Built on the battle-proven AK system, an iconic firearms platform has been reborn as the American Kalashnikov. The new KUSA™ models incorporate features made specifically for American consumers who demand the best when it comes to quality and function. Whether you are a sport shooter, hunter or looking for the ultimate home security weapon, Kalashnikov USA™ firearms will surpass your expectations.
The last sentence is a foul. Let me rewrite it for them: When you’re feeling down, totally powerless and perpetually unloved, there’s only one surefire way to fix the problem—fire off several rounds and be the man you always knew you could be.
My version of the copy wouldn’t get past the legal department, but it is honest. No one hunts with a gun like this and no one needs home protection from a gun like this. Which leaves sport shooters, and the idea that for them it just feels good to fire the guns. It also feels good to know that when armed with a weapon like this, no one can hurt you. No one can bully you. No one can make you feel as small as you are.
Fragile Men Want Control, And Overwhelming Firepower Offers It
Fragile men who are afraid of “invaders” from the south are being encouraged to arm themselves with assault weapons and deliver vigilante justice. Who would dare encourage such lawless behavior?
In unregulated America, you can get away with this. Advertising, like guns, isn’t regulated. That puts the onus on the maker to act responsibly, and that’s almost always too much to ask.
Fractured Men Want Control, And Overwhelming Firepower Offers It
For a great majority of sport shooters who do genuinely enjoy the feeling provided by firing assault weapons, it’s a safe way to let off some steam. Going to the firing range is a hobby and not a threat to public safety.
Sadly, we have a growing number of traumatized people in our culture, and when these people pick up an AK-47 or similar model, they want to reign death and destruction down on innocent people who they don’t know. For these sick men, everyone in the world is the enemy and the enemy in their distorted minds deserves to die.
The vast majority of mass shooters in a National Institute of Justice study experienced early childhood trauma and exposure to violence at a young age. The nature of their exposure included parental suicide, physical or sexual abuse, neglect, domestic violence, and/or severe bullying.
The cycle of abuse is a well-known pattern. Beat and neglect your kids and turn them into monsters. It’s a simple equation and one that too many parents choose to repeat every single day.
Lots of Young People Feel Like They’re All Alone
Fear sells, and people are afraid today. People are also alone.
Many millennials report that they have few or no friends. The new study from YouGov found that 22% of millennials say have no friends, 27% say they have no close friends, and 30% say they have no best friends.
As upsetting as gun violence and the debates around it continue to be, the idea that young people feel that they have no friends is also devasting. Humans are social creatures. We need other people in our lives. Or bad things happen.
