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Brad B. McCormick Senior Producer, Ruder Finn Interactive (212) 593-6492 mccormickb@ruderfinn.com Ellyn Fisher Ad Council Corporate Communications (212) 984-1964 efisher@adcouncil.org	SMOKEY BEAR LAUNCHES REVAMPED WEB PRESENCE ON SMOKEY'S 58th BIRTHDAY The new Smokeybear.com addresses recent wildfire outbreaks, offers extensive scientific facts, safety tips, and information for both adults and children New York, August 9, 2002 - Ruder Finn, Inc. and the Ad Council announced the launch of the new Smokeybear.com website on the anniversary of Smokey Bear's birth, August 9, 2002. The new site is the first web initiative taken by the Ad Council since the organization changed the campaign's creative strategy in 2001. "The campaign had essentially remained unchanged for almost 60 years, which is remarkable" said Brad B. McCormick, the project's Senior Producer in Ruder Finn's Interactive Group (RFI). "But once the Ad Council decided to revamp both the tone and audience of Smokey's message, we realized what a major changed that was, and that we needed to create a web presence for Smokey that would justify and support that change for years to come." The longest running campaign in U.S. history, Smokey Bear and his famous warning, "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires," was introduced to Americans in 1944. The Forest Fire Prevention campaign has reduced the number of acres lost annually from 22 million to 4 million. Responding to the massive outbreak of wildfires in 2000, the campaign changed its focus from children to adults, and updated Smokey's slogan to "Only you Can Prevent Wildfires." "The campaign's strategy had changed, but the site hadn't," said Scott Schneider, Senior Vice President, and Director of RFI, speaking of the site before his group took over. "In their TV advertising, the Ad Council was articulating new ideas for fire prevention to adults, not to children. Smokey needed a web presence that supported this new, more serious strategy - one that targeted the adult audience who, as research had shown, were most responsible for causing accidental wildfires. And we needed to use Smokey's brand to the site's advantage - there is an enormous adult audience who recall Smokey and his message from their youth - we needed to create a site that was engaging, educational, and ultimately, effective." The new Smokeybear.com features an informational, adult-directed site called, "Only You," which mirrors the serious tone of the current advertising campaign, targeting the individuals who actively use America's wildlands, as well as a redesigned children's area, including Smokejumpers! an online game honoring the famed wildland firefighter's who parachute out of plans to fight wildfires. The site's overarching goal is to further educate the public and promote Smokey's message of wildfire safety and prevention through reaching a new, adult audience with substantial scientific and factual information, while continuing to use Smokey's brand and iconic status to inform his loyal children's audience. "With so many wildfires being reported in the news lately, people kept asking 'Where is Smokey Bear in all of this? What does he have to say? Why does this keep happening? "McCormick added. "We wanted to create a website that would answer those questions, and we wanted to use the site as a way of leveraging Smokey Bear's familiarly to drive attention to other wildfire-related sites that don't normally experience heavy traffic." The site also features "Smokey's Vault," a collection of nostalgic posters, images, and public service announcements that span the campaign's long history. "We positioned the vault as a way for adults to reconnect with the Smokey Bear they knew as kids, and to pass that liking along to their children," McCormick added. "Smokey Bear is one of the Ad Council's most memorable and treasured icons. Adults remember his important messages from their youth, and I think Smokey is the most appropriate character to bring the wildfire message to them as adults, "according to Peggy Conlon, President & CEO of The Advertising Council. "I am confident that this new website will continue to engage the public in Smokey's message as they have been for nearly six decades." About Ruder Finn, Inc. (www.ruderfinn.com) Ruder Finn, Inc. is a leading communications, counseling and services agency with more than 50 years of experience. The company maintains offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., London, Paris, Jerusalem, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. Ruder Finn Interactive creates compelling web solutions for the new media space, connecting design and technology to over 50 years of global, practice specific communications and branding expertise. About The Advertising Council, Inc. The Advertising Council is a private, nonprofit organization, which has been the leading producer of public service communications programs in the United States since its founding as The War Advertising Council in 1942. The Ad Council marshals volunteer talents from the advertising and communications industries to create awareness, foster understanding and motivate action. Ad Council campaigns, such as "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk," "Take A Bite Out of Crime," and "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste," have helped save lives and educate the public about issues and concerns of the day. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit its website, www.adcouncil.org.
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