After the devastation of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in modern Australian history, the Howard Government passed new gun ownership laws and initiated a famous buyback scheme. Several community service announcements were produced to promote the scheme, each taking a different approach to reach a broad audience of firearm owners.

This ad draws on the populace's fear of breaking the new laws, presenting an everyman subject for the audience to identify with. 'John Schulte' describes his fear of massive fines and jail time, while the grim blue lighting and an unseen, seemingly omniscient police officer create an ominous mood. Audio, imagery and social encouragement are used to heighten awareness of risk, educate Australians about the specifics of the new laws, and remind audiences of the monetary benefits of the buyback.

These community service announcements from the Attorney-General’s Department ran in 1997 following the massacre. Other productions took a different tonal approach, from reassuring humour to gentler ads aimed at states with a higher concentration of gun owners. Clips like these reveal the dynamic tactics used to encourage social responsibility, drawn from a rich understanding of their audience.