Advertising: New Smokey Bear Gives Hugs, Not Just Warnings

New Smokey Bear Gives Hugs, Not Just Warnings

Smokey Bear’s Makeover: In a new public service fire prevention campaign, the familiar bear is less of an authority figure and more a teacher who gives positive reinforcement, hugging people who help prevent forest fires.

NEW advertising will give Americans an opportunity to be hugged by a federal employee â€" a big furry one, no less.

1945 Urging caution.

1950S Calling for cooperation.

1962 A familiar slogan.

2000S New focus on wildfires.

Smokey Bear, who has been appearing since 1944 in public service fire prevention campaigns under the aegis of the nonprofit Advertising Council, is getting a makeover in a new campaign that replaces a computer-generated look he received about five years ago with a more vintage appearance of a large bear, or perhaps a person in an impressive bear costume.

The ads also give Smokey’s role and persona a makeover. Although the campaign still declares “Only you can prevent wildfires” â€" the wording was changed from “forest fires” in 2001 â€" Smokey is changing from a teacher or authority figure into a paragon of positive reinforcement. To underscore the shift, Smokey will now hug people in the wilderness who demonstrate they know how to avoid causing fires.

“It’s definitely the first time Smokey’s giving hugs,” said Lincoln Bramwell, chief historian at the United States Forest Service in Washington, part of the Agriculture Department. “Draftfcb and the Ad Council don’t change Smokey Bear or the image lightly or often,” Mr. Bramwell added, referring to the Draftfcb agency, part of the Interpublic Group of Companies.

The reason to do so now, he said, was recent surveys showing that although Smokey “is very recognizable,” many people â€" particularly those ages 18 to 34 â€" “weren’t sure what Smokey was asking them to do tangibly” to help him prevent wildfires.

“Keeping that awareness of Smokey up is important,” he added, “with more and more people living or moving closer to wilderness areas in the exurbs.”

In one commercial, a man in his 20s tells friends: “You know what, guys, there’s a lot of tree branches and dry brush over here. We should probably move the bonfire over there.” Suddenly, Smokey emerges, hugs him and walks off, whistling. “Guess that Smokey liked that idea,” one of the friends says.

In a second commercial, a young woman reads from a mobile device four steps to make sure a fire is out. After her male companion acknowledges they have all been taken care of, Smokey embraces him and she takes a photograph.

“Smokey just gave me a bearhug,” the young man says as Smokey walks off whistling. The young woman, showing him her device, replies: “I know. I already posted it.”

To reinforce the desire of those behind the campaign that the public share the ads through social media, the commercials present on-screen a hashtag, #SmokeyBearHug, in addition to the address of a Web site, smokeybear.com. The campaign also has a presence on Facebook and Twitter. Digitas, an agency owned by the Publicis Groupe, works on the social media and digital elements of the campaign.

The character’s appearance is being changed because the computer-generated imagery in the most recent version made Smokey “feel a little Country Bear Jamboree-ish,” said Eric Springer, chief creative officer at the Los Angeles office of Draftfcb, from which the campaign is handled, referring to the Walt Disney World attraction.

“We want to leverage the icon,” he added, while “keeping him fresh.” Nick Micale, the copywriter, and Patrick Moore, the art director, make up the young creative team working on the campaign, Mr. Springer said.

The hugs are part of the decision to turn Smokey into a character who is depicted as “rewarding people,” Mr. Bramwell said, rather than “entreating them or admonishing them to take personal responsibility.”

“It’s moving the tone away from sober, which doesn’t resonate with young people,” he added, “while maintaining the seriousness of the issue.”

Mr. Springer described the hugs as meant “to reward people for doing right, for the preventive measures they’re taking.”

“Who wouldn’t want a hug from Smokey?” he asked.

According to statistics from the Ad Council, Smokey’s messages have helped reduce the number of acres burned annually by wildfires to an average of 6.9 million acres today, from about 22 million acres when the campaign was introduced 69 years ago by the council and a Draftfcb predecessor, Foote, Cone & Belding.

Draftfcb and the council estimate that Smokey’s campaigns have received more than $1 billion worth of donated commercial time and ad space from media companies since 1980. The Smokey ads are usually among the top 10 pro bono campaigns from the council with the most donated media each year.

Although “the need for the message never goes away,” said Peggy Conlon, president and chief executive at the Ad Council in New York, the council and Draftfcb still must “make his message relevant” to a contemporary public.

“The new campaign gives consumers an opportunity to interact with Smokey” in the same way they “interact with nature,” she added, and “the tips on how to prevent wildfires are baked into the ads.”

Another benefit of changing the campaign is that the new approach “gives you the ability to show real-life situations,” Ms. Conlon said. At that, she paused, chuckled and added, “In real life you don’t have people in Smokey Bear costumes running around the forest.”

However, she and Mr. Springer are considering other methods of giving the campaign tangible form. For example, Mr. Springer said, “we’re working on a Facebook app where you’ll get hugged by Smokey.”

“I’d like to get a picture of Smokey hugging me,” he added.

Smokey Bear is among several venerable ad characters redesigned in recent years. Others include Mr. Peanut, the Planters mascot, and the stork that represents Vlasic pickles.