Forensic Research Archive of Manipulation and Exploitation
Smokey says - Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires!, 1944 US poster: Narrow card-format version of the Smokey Bear

Smokey says - Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires!

Narrow card-format version of the Smokey Bear message: a line drawing of the bear in a ranger hat pouring water on a small fire, over a red panel reading 'Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires!' with 'will' underlined. The unsourced statistic (card-stacking) is again paired with the bear figure (transfer).

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Card stackingTransfer
Date
1944
Period
Second World War
Made by
State Forest Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
Region
North America
Country
United States
Medium
Poster
Issuer type
State
Regime
Roosevelt Administration
Leader
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Audience
Domestic public
Purpose
Mobilize or secure compliance
Theme
Home front
Event
World War II
Regime
Roosevelt administration
Leader
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Source
Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
Source
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
Rights
Public domain (U.S. government work)
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1763A (NAID 515436).

Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

SMOKEY SAYS—
Care
will prevent
9 out of 10
forest fires!
State Forest Service
U. S. Dept. Agriculture—Forest Service

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