Since 1944, Smokey Bear has been the symbol of protection of America’s forests from human-caused fire. Smokey Bear is recognized by 97% of adults, and 3 out of 4 adults are able to recall Smokey’s message of “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires” without prompting.

His message of wildfire prevention is the center of one of the most successful Public Service Announcements (PSA) campaigns in our nation’s history.  The term wildfire applies to any uncontrolled outdoor fire.

The most recent round of PSAs takes a more educational approach, incorporating proper extinguishing techniques for various fire-start scenarios. Knowing this information will help people more safely interact with fire when recreating outdoors. Smokey’s look has also been updated, as he returns to his more nostalgic roots with a softer and warmer appearance.

What do you think? Do you like the new, huggable Smokey Bear? Leave your comments below.

Here’s two of the new huggable Smokey the Bear PSAs:

If you’re a big fan of Smokey Bear, here’s some fun Links:

• Smokey Bear Twitter
• Smokey Bear Facebook
• Smokey Bear YouTube
• Smokey Bear Website

Now remember, only YOU can prevent wildfires.

 
If you enjoyed this article, sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep abreast of our best travel tips, on-location reviews, exclusive travel offers, group travel events, and much more.