On Smokey Bear's 80th Birthday, HelpGood Celebrates More Than A Decade of Bringing His Educational Mission to Social Media

Sep. 10, 2024

After eighty years of wildfire prevention, Smokey Bear remains an American icon, with a message that only rings truer today. But continuing to have an impact means competing for attention on social media and charting new paths for wildfire prevention education. Luckily, with a little help from his longtime partners at social impact agency HelpGood, Smokey – administered by the USDA Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council – has not only inspired a new generation of Americans to act more responsibly around fire, but grown his social media following by 3225% increase in audience since 2010.

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. Smokey and his catch phrase – "Only you can prevent wildfires" – have been a constant cultural force for good in the media and through educational programs. It’s only fitting that he attempts to bring that same passion for positive impact to social media. For over a decade, HelpGood has been the voice of Smokey Bear on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Pinterest, Facebook and even LinkedIn, providing strategy, content production, and community management – using a mix of musings, educational content and memes to enlist a loyal following of Gen Zers to his cause.

For HelpGood, finding success online meant sidestepping the temptation to modernize his voice and instead embracing Smokey’s fatherly persona.

HelpGood CEO Michael Bellavia said:

“He’s friendly, funny, and loves a ‘dad joke’. He’s steeped in Americana. And at 80, he definitely reminisces a lot in his social posts. But he’s also approachable and loves to teach, so we make sure to create content that focuses more on celebratory moments – like when people step in and help prevent a wildfire – instead of finger wagging those that might be using fire recklessly.” 

 

Ad Council VP, Group Campaign Director Tracy Danicich said:

"Smokey has always had devoted fans – he was once sent so much fan mail that he received his own zip code, the only individual to have one other than the U.S. President. That legacy of connecting with admirers and well-wishers continues today across social media, where HelpGood brings fun and educational new ways to connect with Smokey."

 

That doesn’t mean that Smokey’s content doesn’t sometimes toy with irreverence. In fact, sly pop-culture references and clever community interactions have been integral to helping the social accounts draw in younger audiences. For example, a viral video spoofing a skit from comedian Tim Robinson reached 4 million accounts, with 9 million plays and over 100k followers gained. Another time, HelpGood turned the GRAMMY awards fervor around superstar Pharrell's Smokey-like hat into one of the biggest wildfire prevention messaging moments ever. On Twitter and Instagram, Smokey is a constant presence with posts about everything and everyone from Alex Trebek and Smokey Robinson – ensuring that his timeless wildfire prevention message stands out in a noisy social climate.

Bellavia continued:

“Our recent approach to short form video in particular has earned us some die hard fans on Instagram, where men under 24 have really connected with Smokey’s message. And since he’s got a lot of fans, we’re able to curate and reshare a bunch of great user generated content as well.”

 

With more than 10 years of experience honing Smokey’s approach to social, HelpGood looks forward to continuing to help the Ad Council, USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters preserve and grow the campaign’s legacy.

Bellavia added:

"Working with this team to bring Smokey to life on social and seeing the community respond so positively has been immensely rewarding. Especially now, with audiences becoming more environmentally aware than ever before, we’re so proud to play a part in encouraging behaviors that will help protect the natural treasures that are our nation’s wildlands."