Redesigning a National Icon for Gen Z (and Alpha)
Client: Ad Council + US Forest Service (2021-2024)
Role: Creative Director + Artist
In 2021, as the Director of Amplifier Labs, I was tasked by the Ad Council to lead the creative direction for the revitalization of Smokey Bear: America's enduring symbol of wildfire prevention. This initiative aimed to breathe new life into the longest-running campaign in Ad Council history, ensuring its vital message resonated with today’s youth between the ages of 7 and 27.
Collaborating closely with the USDA Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council I developed a series of innovative artworks and educational resources designed to engage and educate including:
16-bit and Anime Artworks: This visual approach helped make Smokey Bear relatable to younger audiences, merging contemporary cultural aesthetics with a timeless message.
Shareable GIFs: Designed for rapid dissemination across social media platforms, these dynamic visual elements significantly extended the campaign's reach to tens of millions online.
Coloring Books: Distributed to over 1 million K-12 students and teachers nationwide, these interactive resources provided a hands-on way for children to learn about wildfire prevention.
The campaign's extensive reach, displayed across various media formats on TV, print, and digital platforms since early 2022, has achieved billions of impressions. Based on standard Ad Council calculations of approximately 500 locations per year and average foot, auto traffic, and digital viewership, the campaign achieved over 11 billion impressions through September 2024. While “impressions” are generally a hollow and overused metric, the prominence, widespread visibility, and impact of a campaign with these kinds of numbers, are very real and deep.
Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council on these evolving images of Smokey: “Smokey Bear and his iconic message have been welcomed into our homes and made a permanent fixture of American history and culture. That kind of legacy is only possible because of the continued innovation... to keep Smokey relevant while his message remains consistent.”
