Smokey Bear - Legacy

Legacy

For Smokey’s 50th anniversary in 1994, he was honored with a U.S. postage stamp that pictured a cub hanging onto a burned tree. It was illustrated by Rudy Wendelin. The commercial for his 50th anniversary portrayed woodland animals about to have a surprise birthday party for Smokey, with a cake with candles. When Smokey comes blindfolded, he smells smoke, not realizing it is birthday candles for his birthday. He uses his shovel to destroy the cake. When he takes off his blindfold, he sees that it was a birthday cake for him and apologizes.

In 2004, Smokey's 60th anniversary was celebrated in numerous ways, including a Senate resolution designating August 9, 2004, as "Smokey Bear 60th Anniversary," calling upon the President to issue a proclamation "calling upon the people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities."

According to Richard Earle, author of The Art of Cause Marketing, the Smokey Bear campaign is recognized as among the most powerful and enduring of all public service advertising. "Smokey is simple, strong, straightforward," Earle writes. "He's a denizen of those woods you're visiting, and he cares about preserving them. Anyone who grew up watching Bambi realizes how terrifying a forest fire can be. But Smokey wouldn't run away. Smokey's strong. He'll stay and fight the fire if necessary, but he'd rather have you douse it and cover it up so he doesn't have to."

In 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, new commercials featuring Smokey rendered in CGI were released.