What the Smokey Bear TV commercial - Smokeys 70th Birthday is about.
Smokey Bear, the beloved American icon of wildland fire prevention, turned 70 years old and his fans couldn't wait to celebrate this significant milestone. To mark this occasion, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council came together to release a brand new Smokey Bear TV Spot called "Smokey's 70th Birthday."
The minute-long TV spot opens with Smokey Bear entering a surprise birthday party thrown for him in a forest clearing. The party's guests -- including a raccoon, a squirrel, a bluebird, and a rabbit -- present Smokey with a birthday cake and sing a rendition of "Happy Birthday to You." Smokey then delivers his signature line: "Only you can prevent wildfires," reminding viewers of the importance of preventing wildfires as it remains the number one threat to America's forests.
The birthday message is simple, clear, and effective - and is a nod to decades of Smokey Bear campaign history. The ad draws heavily from the signature elements of past Smokey Bear campaigns, such as the image of Smokey emerging from the forest and reminding people of their individual responsibility to prevent forest fires.
Ultimately, the TV spot serves as a fun and timely reminder of Smokey's importance, not just as a mascot but also as a symbol of our collective responsibility to keep our forests safe. Indeed, as Smokey himself would say: "Only you can prevent wildfires."
Smokey Bear TV commercial - Smokeys 70th Birthday produced for
Smokey Bear Campaign
was first shown on television on May 14, 2014.
Frequently Asked Questions about smokey bear tv spot, 'smokey's 70th birthday'
Smokey Bear was brought by the U.S. Forest Service from New Mexico in June of 1950 after being burned as a cub from a forest fire that swept through a portion of the Lincoln National Forest. Smokey Bear served as a living symbol of the Smokey Bear forest fire prevention program.
The real-life bear
It was an American black bear cub that was rescued in 1950 from a 17,000-acre forest fire in Lincoln National Forest in south-central New Mexico. The bear climbed a tree to escape the flames, but his paws and legs got singed. They first called him Hotfoot Teddy, but later renamed him Smokey Bear.
Created in 1944, the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign is the longest-running public service advertising campaign in U.S. history, educating generations of Americans about their role in preventing wildfires.
Citation. Steve Nelson (words and music), Jack Rollins (words and music), and Rudy Wendelin (illustrations). 1952.
Smokey Bear teaches people how to prevent human-caused wildfires and protect habitats. Children learn that forests, grasslands, and plains are homes to animals… create a Word/Picture Wall about these areas…
Smokey has black bear relatives who weigh as much as 800 pounds. Some of his grizzly bear cousins weigh almost a ton! WEIGHT AT BIRTH: About 1-1/2 pounds. In other words, he weighed about as much as a big loaf of bread.
Goldie
“Smokey Bear and his wife "Goldie" who arrived at the National Zoo in 1962. They adopted a son in 1971..” Special Collections, USDA National Agricultural Library.
boy
Little Bear is about just what the title implies. He is a small grizzly bear cub living as a six year old boy in a house in the woods he shares with Father Bear and Mother Bear. The 7-8 minute episodes detail Little Bear's adventures with his animal friends and relatives.
To maintain the rhythm of the song, they added “the” between “Smokey” and “Bear.” Due to the song's popularity, Smokey Bear has been called “Smokey the Bear” by many adoring fans, but, in actuality, his name never changed. He's still Smokey Bear.
Smokey's original balloon first appeared in 1966 to promote a Smokey cartoon special airing Thanksgiving night and it last appeared in 1993. His new version first appeared in 2019 to celebrate his 75th birthday. The balloon measures 16 feet long, 25 feet wide and 51 feet tall!
"The Bear Song" is a single by American comedy metal band Green Jellÿ. It is based on "The Bear Went Over the Mountain", an old popular camp traditional song, sung to the tune of "Sipping Cider through a Straw" from 1919.
The Bear teaches us COURAGE.
The Bear provides many lessons in the way it lives, but courage is the most important teaching it offers. Though gentle by nature, the ferociousness of a mother Bear when one of her cubs is approached is the true definition of courage.