Things are starting to heat up here in the High Desert. And with this warm up — and dryer conditions — comes greater risk of wildfires.
Having moved from SoCal where fires have done significant damage, I tend to notice when the sign at the Petroglyph National Monument says “severe fire warning” in bright red.
I have also noticed several “Get your Smokey On” billboards around town.
I remember when this campaign broke almost 2 years ago. I was working for the agency who produced ’em. While clever in execution, I never “got” the line. And apparently I wasn’t the only one.
I read several comments online that the line sounded more like an invitation to light up one of your merry-ja-wanna cigs. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was some sort of truth to that. (Or if it was the “source” of inspiration.)
But back to the line, it’s meant to remind people that we are the cause of most forest fires. And that’s not just blowing smoke.
“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, BBQ coals and operating equipment without spark arrestors. As such, the number of misinformed is quite alarming and threatens to become a contributing factor that will impact our environment.”
I know, for me, that every time I see a cigarette butt go flying out a car window, I really want to grab it and throw it back in the car’s window. I don’t like the world around me being used as an ashtray. (It’s the same with all the dog crap in the arroyo behind our rental here in ABQ. I always pick up after my dogs, even in these big, open wild spaces. I treat it just as I would by own backyard. But, based on what I see over some of the fences in the ‘hood, I guess these people ARE treating the arroyo like their backyard. Disgusting!)
I know that advertising, by its very nature, is meant to get people talking. And if the line (that sounds vaguely like an invitation to fire up the 420) gets people to think about their actions….to think before they flick….then I guess it works.
Then again, I guess that’s just my thoughts on a fire….from afar.