Craig Morgan Voices New PSAs for Smokey Bear’s
Wildfire Prevention Campaign
Radio PSAs Available Today, in time for Fire Prevention Week
The Advertising Council, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), announced today the launch of a new series of radio public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring country star and Grand Ole Opry member Craig Morgan, designed to provide critical information to Americans about their role in wildfire prevention as an extension of the Wildfire Prevention campaign featuring Smokey Bear. Morgan has recorded two 15- and one 30-second radio PSAs that are being distributed to radio stations across the nation today to coincide with Fire Prevention Week. Radio stations can locate the PSAs on Ad Council’s fulfillment website, http://psacentral.adcouncil.org, starting tomorrow (October 8th).
Morgan, whose single “Bonfire,” is in the Top 20 and rapidly climbing the Country Radio charts, felt it was important to pair a strong prevention message with the celebratory song and volunteered his time to the Ad Council. “When my buddies and I wrote this song, we were talking and laughing about fun times with family and friends, and that’s what bonfires are all about,” says Morgan. “But, anybody who knows me knows that I’m a big outdoors guy, and any time you build any sort of fire outside, safety has to be your number one concern. That’s why I wanted to work with the Ad Council to get this message out. Wildfire Prevention remains one of the most critical issues affecting our country, and whether it’s a bonfire after the big game, or a cookout when you’re hunting or fishing, you need to contain your fire and be sure it is 100 percent extinguished before you leave.”
Research shows that many Americans believe that lightning starts most wildfires. In fact, more than 88 percent of wildfires nationwide are started by humans and the majority of these fires are accidental. The principle causes are campfires left unattended, trash burning on windy days, careless discarding of smoking materials and BBQ coals and operating equipment without spark arrestors.
Morgan’s PSAs provide valuable tips on fire extinguishing, and direct audiences to visit the campaign website, www.smokeybear.com, for more information about wildfire prevention. The website includes sections devoted to fire prevention tips, including how to build and extinguish safe fires and how to protect your home if you live near a fire prone area. Visitors can also take a pledge to practice fire safety.
Since his introduction on August 9, 1944, Smokey Bear has been a recognized symbol of protection of America’s forests from fire. His message about forest fire prevention has helped to significantly reduce the number of acres burned annually by wildfires. Despite the campaign’s success, during the past ten years, an average of 6.5 million acres of land in the U.S. was burned each year by wildfires. According to a recent Ad Council survey, Smokey Bear and his famous words of wisdom – “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” – are recalled by 3 out of 4 adults without prompting.
The Ad Council is distributing the new PSAs to radio stations nationwide this week. Per the Ad Council’s model, the PSAs are airing in advertising time that is donated by the media. Since 1980, the Wildfire Prevention campaign has received more than $1 billion in donated advertising time and space. The campaign is the longest-running PSA campaign in U.S. history.
USDA Forest Service
Established in 1905, the Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Forest Service manages 193 million acres of public lands in national forests and grasslands, which is an area equivalent to the size of Texas. The Forest Service is also the largest forestry research organization in the world, and provides technical and financial assistance to States, Tribes, communities, and non-industrial private forest landowners.
Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the Forest Service, summed up the mission of the Forest Service— “to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run.”
National Association of State Foresters
The National Association of State Foresters is comprised of the directors of state and territorial agencies and the District of Columbia. Through public-private partnership, NASF seeks to advance sustainable forestry, conservation, and protection of forestlands and their associated resources.
The Advertising Council
The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.
Craig Morgan
Craig Morgan is signed to Sony Entertainment Nashville’s BNA Records label, and released his fifth studio album, That’s Why, last fall. His current hit, the anthemic “Bonfire,” is the fastest-rising of his career. Last year Morgan received one of country music’s highest honors – he was inducted into the membership of the Grand Ole Opry. Morgan has made more than 150 appearances on The Grand Ole Opry, and plays over 200 sold-out concerts a year. He spent ten years on active duty in the U.S. Army before launching his music career, and makes a point to perform as often as possible at US military installations both in the US and abroad. He lives just outside of Nashville with his wife Karen and their four children.
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