Ad Council PSAs tackle wildfires, food poisoning

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Smokey Bear is coming back in a multimedia campaign that forwards his traditional message – “Only you can prevent wildfires” – and another advertising campaign is coming out to help citizens prevent food-borne illnesses through safe food-handling techniques. The Ad Council, elements of the federal government and agencies working pro bono are behind the efforts.


USDA Forest Service, National Association of State Foresters and agency Draftfcb Orange County are putting together the Smokey Bear campaign, which includes television, radio and outdoor elements and coincides with the introduction of a Smokey Bear mobile application which includes safety tips on campfires that can be referred to while actually working with a campfire.

The food poisoning campaign is being done in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and agency JWT New York.

The project, led by a humorous set of television ads, has many moving parts. Ad Council noted, “The campaign includes English and Spanish-language television, radio, print, and Web advertising, as well as an integrated social media program. The program includes a new FoodSafety.gov Facebook page and outreach via the FoodSafety.gov Twitter handle, both emphasizing ‘Check Your Steps.’ All campaign elements direct audiences to visit FoodSafety.gov, a recently refreshed and updated site in English (www.foodsafety.gov) and Spanish (www.foodsafety.gov/espanol), where they can learn about food safety practices. Consumers can also access ‘Ask Karen’ www.foodsafety.gov/experts/askkaren/index.html), an online database with answers to nearly 1,500 questions related to preventing foodborne illnesses.”