By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon
Doesn’t it feel as though it was just yesterday when we were wishing Smokey Bear a happy 75th birthday? Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday officially falls on August 9, 2024, marking eight decades of the mascot having the longest running public service initiative in United States history.
At 80 years young, Smokey Bear is celebrating with a new PSA and keeping his familiar, important message for audiences. “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.”
Smokey Bear Through The “Decades”
Smokey Bear made his debut in a PSA ad campaign in partnership with creative agency FCB, the USDA Forest Service, Ad Council and National Association of State Foresters (NASF) in 1944.
Clad in a ranger’s hat and belted blue jeans, Smokey carried a shovel in one paw for the PSA. However, it would not be until 1947 that Smokey would introduce audiences everywhere to his powerful slogan — “Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires.”
Smokey’s slogan might have been revised in later decades, but little has changed about the icon’s legacy as a wildfire prevention symbol. Now more than ever, his message matters in a world where humans cause nearly nine out of 10 unwanted wildfires.
For the new PSA “Decades,” the Ad Council, USDA Forest Service and NASF have all teamed up again to step back in time and bear witness to the generations impacted by Smokey’s message. And if Smokey Bear sounds familiar to you, it’s because actor Brian Tyree Henry is his new voice.
The “Decades” PSA highlights Smokey’s greatest lessons he has taught humans in preventing wildfires. Among these lessons are how to safely build a fire, how to control the flames, what to do with hot coals, and how to secure chains.
“But I can only teach wildfire prevention,” Smokey says by the end of the PSA. “Only you can prevent wildfires.”
When PopIcon spoke to Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council, about Smokey’s 75th birthday in 2019, she told us she was excited to see what Smokey would look like by his 80th birthday. Her expectation of Smokey at 80 was that the icon would continue his mission of wildfire prevention.
Fans of Smokey that want to wish the mascot a happy birthday may do so on social media platforms like X, Instagram and TikTok using the hashtags #SmokeyBear80 and #OnlyYou. They can also give the gift of being careful with fire outdoors and learn more about how to prevent wildfires by visiting SmokeyBear.com.
Image Credit: Sam Gilbey and FCB
About the Author
Heather Taylor is the senior writer and editor-in-chief of PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog about brand mascots. Got a pitch on brand mascots or want to wax nostalgic about characters? Drop her a line at howveryheather@gmail.com.
