Media Contact: Georgia Seltzer, (202) 822-8200 x104, gseltzer@vpc.org
Campaign Research Notes – July 7, 2025
In this update: Firearms posed against red, white, and blue backdrops, assault weapons emblazoned with the American flag, gun owners dressed in military garb — the 4th of July offers fertile ground for militarized marketing efforts from the firearms industry.
In their marketing efforts, especially for assault weapons, the firearms industry frequently presents guns as the physical embodiment of freedom and those who possess them as modern-day militiamen.
The images below offer examples from this year of gun manufacturer Instagram posts exploiting the 4th of July, while this link presents a slide show of past marketing efforts.
To view a slide show of gun manufacturer 4th of July Instagram posts from previous years, click here.
The Campaign for Gun Industry Accountability is an ongoing project of the Violence Policy Center.