Vintage Smokey Bear

By Erica Palan

On this date in 1944, Smokey Bear's likeness was first released on posters designed by the United States Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council. Perhaps the world's strongest advocate against forest fires, Smokey's been featured in commercials, songs, books and other pop culture iconography over the decades. Here, six vintage Smokey PSAs.
Smokey the Bear Song, 1952
Eddy Arnold plays guitar and sings this song about Smokey.
The Forest Has Many Things, 1963
One of Smokey's early commercials gets the cartoon treatment.
Happily Ever After, 1968
As if Bambi wasn't sad enough ...
Careless Bears, 1970
A nice family watches as humans-dressed-as-bears picnic in their front yard.
America the Ugly, 1973
Poignant imagery in this commercial.
You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth, 1979
Dummies! Get it?