Forensic Research Archive of Manipulation and Exploitation
Smokey says - Prevent forest fires!, 1945 US poster: Text-led poster

Smokey says - Prevent forest fires!

Text-led poster: a cartoon bear in a ranger hat peers from the top-left corner beside the words 'Smokey says-', over the large headline 'Prevent forest fires!'. A band at the foot reads 'An Official War Message' with the OWI seal, lending wartime government authority to the bear's request (transfer).

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Transfer
Date
1945
Period
Second World War
Made by
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, with the Office of War Information
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-1761 (NAID 515433).

Text on the object

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

Smokey says-
PREVENT
FOREST
FIRES!
AN OFFICIAL WAR MESSAGE
[seal:] UNITED STATES OFFICE OF WAR INFORMATION, TRUTH IS OUR STRENGTH, O.W.I.
[imprint:] U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE—FOREST SERVICE
[imprint:] ★ U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1945—O—631678

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