To celebrate Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday and reintroduce his iconic wildfire prevention message to younger, digital-native audiences, Ad Council partnered with Twitch to host a 2-hour special livestream event that combined entertainment and education. Our goal was to create an engaging, emotionally resonant experience that not only honored Smokey’s cultural legacy but also delivered actionable wildfire prevention tips in a format familiar to Gen Z and millennial viewers.
By working with a trusted Twitch creator to host the livestream, incorporating interactive games, PSA footage, and state-level expertise, we aimed to educate viewers on their personal role in wildfire prevention. This approach provided an opportunity to expand campaign reach, shift behaviors, and drive relevance in a space where traditional PSAs may not typically appear. Success was measured by viewership, engagement, educational integration, and emotional resonance.
To engage Twitch’s community and educate viewers in a fun, memorable way, we collaborated with popular Twitch streamer SimCopter1 and Mississippi State Forester Russell Bozeman to co-host a two-hour Smokey Bear 80th Birthday livestream on October 11, 2024.
The stream wove education and entertainment together, offering wildfire prevention tips through a mix of interactive and narrative-driven content:
What set this activation apart was the authenticity of the experience. SimCopter’s emotional reflections on Smokey’s message and the genuine connection with his audience made wildfire safety feel personal and urgent—not prescriptive. He seamlessly integrated facts and prevention practices into the gameplay and conversations without disrupting the flow of entertainment.
The stream was promoted through Twitch’s homepage and supported by media donated by the platform. Twitch’s in-house support helped amplify the effort while ensuring accessibility to a wide, organic audience.
Though coordination with multiple partners and platform logistics posed some challenges, the event’s structure and tone were intentional from the outset: welcoming, informative, and emotionally grounded. Together, we transformed a legacy PSA campaign into an interactive, educational experience that felt right at home in the Twitch ecosystem.
The livestream successfully met our dual goals of education and engagement, making wildfire prevention tips accessible and memorable for a new generation of viewers:
Key wildfire prevention tips—like properly extinguishing campfires, avoiding fire-prone activities on windy days, and safely disposing of smoking materials—were presented through trivia, gameplay, and expert discussion. This format helped viewers retain practical information while enjoying an emotionally driven broadcast experience.
The event proved that educational messaging can thrive on entertainment-first platforms when presented with sincerity and creativity. Beyond numbers, it reinforced Smokey’s legacy and inspired viewers to see wildfire prevention as a shared responsibility—no matter where or how they engage.
