It's no secret that in Cali we have a wildfire problem on a fairly regular basis, and in recent years other parts of the world such as Australia and Brazil have had really devastating wildfires.....
I think it's safe to say that most young kids at least LIKE Smokey the Bear, if not love him, but are we really reaching the right audience? In the U.S., how are most wildfires started? Campfires, BBQ's, cigarette butts, fireworks..... and just because, now we have "gender reveal parties...." Are young kids the ones we need to be tailoring this message to? How many young kids find themselves in these kinds of roles out in the woods? I think we need a more "adult" or "older teen" friendly mascot, because I just have a feeling these demographics are far more responsible for wildfires than the demographics that probably Smokey resonates the most with.