Smokey Bear a legend of legends 80 years and counting

Robert Hudson Westover

Office of Communication

January 3, 2025

Year-end reflections. We all do them. What did we accomplish? What were the highlights? Did we exceed, meet or fall short of our goals? For many of us, the last question is all too common an acceptance of not getting there as it were. But not for Smokey Bear and his 80th birthday year celebration!

Indeed, if a media impression — the number of eyes on a story, interview or social media post — were candles on a birthday cake, the entirety of the world could not bake a cake big enough to hold the well over 1 billion impressions Smokey Bear’s 80th generated.

The festivities got kicked off with Smokey Bear appearing in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. Riding in a mule-drawn wagon covered in thousands of seeds, hundreds of pinecones and enough branches to rebuild a really big pine tree, Smokey’s birthday was announced all over the nation and as he rode along the five and a half mile route, many chants of “Smokey, Smokey” could be heard.

Then the Ad Council, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the National Association of Foresters, unveiled the Decades campaign of nationally broadcast public service announcements, social media outreach and advertising placements. The campaign looked back on Smokey Bear’s 80 years of educating us that “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires” with an eye to future generations and another successful 80 years.

Smokey Bear has been a regular visitor to the White House since the 1940s. This year for his 80th birthday he was invited to the White House Press Room. (Photo courtesy of The White House and Public Broadcasting Service)

Then in May the Forest Service posted a feature story about Smokey Bear and his many visits to the White House over his 80 years. Coincidentally (or not), the White House Press Office invited America’s fire prevention bear to make his first public appearance at the podium in the National Press Room. Smokey waved and the point was made—this bear is a legend…of legends.

By summer the stage was set for a Smokey Bear Live social media broadcast from Camp Smokey at the California State Fair with Emmy Award winning travel host Darley Newman. Along with the Forest Service, partnering organizations like the YMCA of America and the Armed Services YMCA broadcast the show reaching well over 1 million impressions worldwide.

Image shows Smokey Bear holding a bucket standing on the White House lawn during the White House Easter Egg roll. — For 80 years Smokey Bear has been visiting the White House and he’s often a guest of honor during the White House Easter egg roll. (*USDA Forest Service photo*)

After the California State Fair live event the number of people hearing Smokey’s message kept building and building, with spokespeople representing Smokey Bear being interviewed by USA Today, AccuWeather, the Weather Channel and Fox News. Many of these interviews were picked up elsewhere with the largest outlets like Yahoo News and MSN contributing hundreds of millions of impressions.

Then on August 9, Smokey’s actual birthday, another live social media broadcast aired from Washington, D.C. reaching hundreds of thousands of people. One of the videos from this live broadcast garnered over 200,000 views resulting in the largest ever single Smokey Bear social media post.

Not to rest on our laurels, after August 9 several other big and influential birthday activities occurred, one being a four-part series Smokey Bear Live educating the next generation about fire prevention. And the big ending event of a banner year for this impressive octogenarian: Smokey Bear’s balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

So, as we reflect on last year and welcome the new, the Forest Service would like to say one last big Happy 80th Birthday to Smokey Bear! And here’s to 80 more!