Guns N' Movies
Beginning May 18, movie patrons in 44 states will see a 30-second trailer featuring Arizona Sen. John McCain talking about gun safety.
In the ad, McCain, standing on a school playground, urges adults to lock up their guns and encourages kids to tell a parent or other adult if they hear someone talk about using a gun.
"Because what you do today may save a friend's life tomorrow," says the former presidential candidate. "In this great country, owning a gun is a right that carries responsibilities."
Americans For Gun Safety, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group, is paying $250,000 to run the ad for one month on 2,500 screens in 210 cities.
The ad is being shown in movie theaters to catch the attention of children and parents as the summer movie season kicks off, says group president Jonathan Cowan.
He said the group was also focusing on the movies to remind kids "that the use of guns as entertainment in movies is not something anyone wants to see in real life."
The ad will appear in every state except Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Hawaii and Utah.
Jim Baker, chief lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, says the message of the movie trailer is a good one. But he warns against Americans For Gun Safety's broader agenda of enacting stricter gun control laws. The NRA opposes any more gun control legislation, preferring to focus on the safe usage of weapons.
The ad makes no mention of gun control; it deals only with gun safety.
Americans for Gun Safety estimates that 40,000 children bring guns to school each year.
Later this month, Sen. McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-CT, are planning to introduce legislation designed to close a loophole that allows weapons to be purchased at gun shows without a background check.
© MMI Viacom Internet Services Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report