christian sternal

creative director | copywriter

It’s not “Smokey the Bear.” Just “Smokey Bear.” There is no “the.” Same way that Bugs Bunny isn’t Bugs the Bunny and Daffy Duck isn’t Daffy the Duck. I know, I know, never mind what the song says, this info comes right from the top. Capisce? Anyway. The Smokey Bear campaign is the longest running PSA campaign in American history, one of the most beloved, and it was an honor to work on it. 

It’s not “Smokey the Bear.” Just “Smokey Bear.” There is no “the.” Same way that Bugs Bunny isn’t Bugs the Bunny and Daffy Duck isn’t Daffy the Duck. I know, I know, never mind what the song says, this info comes right from the top. Alright. Anyway. The Smokey Bear campaign is the longest running PSA campaign in American history, one of the most beloved, and it was an honor to work on it. 

"Vigilant"

Up to this point, Smokey had always just been a cartoon, print illustration, or a guy in an ill-fitting suit at the fair. We wanted to bring the real Smokey to life—so we rebuilt him from the ground up. Made him bigger, more bear-like. More real. Then we shot the spot in a way that let people see him, but only for a moment so they spent less time overthinking it, and more time focusing on the surprise and embarrassment of the main subject when he gets cold busted for not putting out his fire—by the real, ever-vigilant Smokey.

You start a fire, you put it out. 

Academy Award-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond was the director of photography on this spot. No big deal..​

"Shovel"

Of all the ways to put out a fire, the using-a-shovel way just seemed ripe for a dark misdirect. We shot this spot letterbox to give it a cinematic wide-screen look. And bathed everything in a foreboding haze and ominous music to tease a horror slash mystery thriller vibe? Then, plot twist…

The "Ranger" radio series.
I was really into Seinfeld at the time.

I just decided to go for it and write spots with some very specific voices in mind. All of them, actors from Seinfeld. And, fortunately, most of them said “yes.” Because…Smokey.

Patrick “Puddy” Warburton is Ranger. Wayne “Newman” Knight is Bird. Jerry “Frank Costanza” Stiller voiced Mountain Lion. Estelle “Estelle Costanza” Harris is Deer. And Emmy-winning VO artist Maurice LaMarche plays Chipmunk.

"You, Specifically" OOH

Simple. It read fast, as outdoor should, but it also invited readers right into the message. Smokey’s classic campaign line becomes pretty personal when the “you” literally becomes your name.

 As we suspected might happen, people occasionally did add their name, or someone else’s, to the outdoor boards and posters—like Josh in Pennsylvania did. Not only did a photo of their vandal handy work go super viral, it also became a key catalyst for the “You had one job” meme and caused it to become even more of a thing. True fact. 

CD chip fuller  |  CW christian sternal  |  AD  brent thomas  •  “VIGILANT” DIRECTOR susanna howe | “VIGILANT” DP vilmos zsigmond a.c.s. • “SHOVEL” DIRECTOR michael chaves

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