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I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying: ‘Decades’ Ad Revisits 80 Years of Smokey Bear

You might need some tissues for Smokey Bear's latest ad.

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Eighty is the new 30 — at least, that’s how it looks on Smokey Bear. It’s mind-boggling to consider, but your grandparents — possibly your great-grandparents — heard Smokey’s gentle warnings when they were kids: “Only you can prevent forest fires.”

Since then, not much about the campaign to encourage responsible camping practices has changed — except the 2001 update from “forest fires” to “wildfires.”

Now, eight full decades after Smokey’s first appearance, FCB — the very same creative agency behind the ageless Ursus — unveils its latest campaign to celebrate Smokey Bear’s legacy.

A joint effort of the USDA Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), and the Ad Council, “Decades” introduces Brian Tyree Henry as the new voice of Smokey, and takes a poignant look back at the generations of campers who’ve heeded his message.

Runtime: 2 min., 20 sec.

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