Back Smokey Bear German Smokey Bear Spanish اسموکی خرسه Persian Smokey Bear French Smokey Bear HE Orso Smokey Italian スモーキー・ベア Japanese Ors Smokey KW Smokey de Boor NDS Smokey Bear Polish
| Smokey Bear | |
|---|---|
 Smokey Bear in a poster based on the "Uncle Sam/Lord Kitchener Wants You" poster | |
| First appearance | August 9, 1944 |
| Created by | U.S. Forest Service, Advertising Council, National Association of State Foresters |
| Voiced by |
|
| Life | Spring 1950 Capitan, New Mexico (living mascot) November 11, 1976 Washington, District of Columbia |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | American black bear |
| Gender | Male |
Smokey Bear is an American campaign and advertising icon of the U.S. Forest Service in the Wildfire Prevention Campaign, which is the longest-running public service announcement campaign in United States history to date. The Ad Council, the Forest Service, and the National Association of State Foresters, in partnership with the creative agency FCB, use the character of Smokey Bear to educate the public about the dangers of unplanned human-caused wildfires.[1][2][3][4]
The first campaign featuring Smokey began in 1944; it used the slogan "Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires". (Smokey's name has always intentionally been spelled differently from the adjective "smoky".) In 1947, the slogan was changed to "Remember... Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires." This version of the slogan was used continually in Smokey Bear campaigns[5][6] until April 2001, when the message was officially updated to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires."[6] This change was made in response to a massive outbreak of wildfires occurring in natural areas other than forests (such as grasslands),[7][1] and to clarify that Smokey was promoting the prevention of unplanned outdoor fires, not prescribed burns.[5] Smokey has also been given additional lines to say throughout the years.
According to the Ad Council, in 2018, 80% of outdoor recreationists correctly identified Smokey Bear's image, and 8 in 10 recognized the campaign’s public service announcements.[8]
Smokey Bear's name and image are protected by the Smokey Bear Act of 1952 (16 U.S.C. 580 (p-2); previously also 18 U.S.C. 711).[9][10][11]
- ^ a b "About Wildfires". SmokeyBear.com. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ Newswire, MultiVu – PR. "Creative features new digital-first videos and artwork in a continuation of the longest running PSA campaign in U.S. history". Multivu. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Wildfire Prevention". Ad Council. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- ^ "Smokey Bear Celebrates 75th Birthday with Celebrity Friends in Innovative New Animated Emoji Campaign" (Press release). Ad Council. Retrieved August 7, 2019 – via PRNewsire.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
AboutTheCampaignqwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Explore Smokey Bear's History (1940s)". SmokeyBear.com. Ad Council. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Wildfire Prevention". AdCouncil. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Wildfire Prevention". AdCouncil. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Smokey Bear Act of 1952" (PDF). U.S. Public Law 82-359, 66 Stat. 92. Government Printing Office. May 23, 1952. p. 92.
- ^ "History of Smokey Bear". U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
- ^ "Conservation Education – Smokey Bear – USDA Forest Service". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved June 28, 2018.