Smokey the Bear Ad Campaign
In 1950, a careless act turned into tragedy when a fire burned wild and swept away over 17,000 acres of forest watershed land in the Capitan Mountains, Lincoln National Forest. When the fire had died off, a badly burned cub was rescued from a charred tree. This cub, later named “Smokey,” was taken to the National Zoo where he lived out the rest of his life. Smokey was soon used to create an animated bear aimed at informing people of forest fires and fire prevention. The “Smokey the Bear” ad campaign was extremely effective and is still being used today as a way to inform the public of campfire do’s and don’ts. Advertising is a $125 billion industry that attracts the attention of the public. Advertising is used as a tool of persuasion in television, magazines, radio, billboards, and in-store displays. The incredible amount of money, artistic ability, and intellectual energy spent on advertisements helps us understand the great power of the media and the advertiser’s ability to control their viewers. Advertising in today’s society is largely based on brand name recognition. It doesn’t matter how good the product being sold is, but rather how good the product’s advertisements are. A consumer is more likely to purchase a more expensive item because it has a flashy advertisement than buy a cheaper product they have never heard of before. The American public has a very short attention span, so only the most colorful, attractive advertisements will hold a person’s attention long enough to see what the ad is selling. For instance, sex is used to sell just about everything. It is perhaps the only element that can be used by advertisers that the public will never get tired of seeing. A good example of this is alcohol advertisements. What does sex have to do with alcohol? Nothing, but it gives off the impression that when one drinks alcohol it will lead to sex. Of