Smokey Bear 75th Birthday Campaign image on an iPhone screen. Smokey is holding a balloon and wearing his iconic hat.

Smokey Bear

The social voice and real-time response for the longest-running PSA campaign in U.S. history.

For over a decade HelpGood has been the voice of Smokey Bear online, providing social media strategy, content production, and community management for the campaign.

300

Media Impressions

10m

website visits per year

5.2m

Bear Hugs

The challenge

Smokey Bear is a beloved American icon. While most brands might hibernate after 80 years, Smokey is needed now more than ever. More Americans are moving closer to the wildland urban interface, and climate change is increasing the intensity, size, and number of wildfires. With nearly 9 out of 10 wildfires caused by humans, the U.S. Forest Service, National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council challenged HelpGood to help Smokey inspire a new generation of Americans to act more responsibly with fire.

Our solution

Our strategy is simple—put our beloved bear everywhere. We’ve grown Smokey Bear’s total social pawprint by almost 2000% to 550,000 Smokey fans. We keep the social content flowing on a daily basis as no one can ever get enough!

Smokey is a well-rounded bear so he also likes to get out. He’s appeared at hundreds of state fairs, livestreamed from SXSW, floated in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and traveled to the International Space Station with NASA.

Everywhere Smokey goes is a moment, and it’s been our honor to grow his legacy of preventing wildfires since 1944.

#OnlyYou

Our real-time response strategy has resulted in billions in earned media. Whether he’s inserting himself into Pharrell’s Grammy Ranger Hat or joining his friends in BarbieLand, he’s always welcomed to the party.

Twitter screenshot of a post from Smokey Bear. 
Text content: 
Smokey Bear
@smokey_bear
Thanks @Pharrell for a memorable #GRAMMYs night. Only you can prevent wildfires. smokeybear.com @smokey_hat 
Image of Smokey with his arm around Pharell.  Smokey is wearing his classic ranger hat and Pharrell is wearing his ranger hat that he wore to the Grammys. 
3,073 Reposts 1,385 Likes
Smokey Bear presented with Barbie branding in a parody of the Barbie movie. Text content: Smokey Bear — This bear wants you to prevent wildfires
Smokey Bear wearing a tiny version of his iconic hat

Let’s talk.

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