Stuart Elliott

June 30, 2009, The New York Times — FOR almost 65 years, Smokey Bear has been reminding Americans, “Only you can prevent forest fires” (and, more recently, wildfires). As the economy faltered, it turned out, Smokey was sharing screen time — and exposure in other media — with pro bono advertising intended to prevent home foreclosures, encourage financial literacy and keep students from dropping out of high school.