Smokey Bear
U.S. Forest Service mascot used to raise awareness about wildfires / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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, the Ad Council, the United States Forest Service (USFS), and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), in partnership with creative agency FCB, employ Smokey Bear to educate the public about the dangers of unplanned human-caused wildfires.[1][2][3][4]
| Smokey Bear | |
|---|---|
 Smokey Bear in a poster based on the "Uncle Sam/Lord Kitchener Wants You" poster | |
| First appearance | 1944 |
| Created by | U.S. Forest Service, Advertising Council, National Association of State Foresters |
| Voiced by | Jackson Weaver (1947–1992) Dallas McKennon (1957) George Walsh (1960s) Roger C. Carmel (1969–1986) Gene Moss (1992–2002) Jim Cummings (1993–2006) Frank Welker (briefly) Jack Angel (2002–2012) Sam Elliott (2008–present) Stephen Colbert (2019–present) |
| Born | Spring 1950 Capitan, New Mexico (living mascot) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | American black bear |
| Gender | Male |
A campaign began in 1944 featuring Smokey and the slogan "Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires". His slogan changed to "Remember... Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires" in 1947 and was associated with Smokey Bear for more than five decades.[5][6] In April 2001, the message was officially updated to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires"[6] in response to a massive outbreak of wildfires 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 had other lines throughout the years, but these have remained his central slogans. According to the Ad Council, 80% of outdoor recreationists correctly identified Smokey Bear's image and 8 in 10 recognized the campaign PSAs.[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] Smokey's name has always intentionally been spelled differently from the adjective "smoky".