U.S. advertising icon Smokey Bear famously said “only you can prevent forest fires,” and a new B.C. provincial program committed to reducing wildfire risk is similarly reminding locals to do their part.

FireSmart BC’s “Our Part, Your Part” campaign has a simple, self-explanatory message when it comes to preventing or mitigating wildfire by completing FireSmart tasks at home, like cleaning gutters or moving combustible materials away from the home.

“Our approach this year had two goals: showcase the tireless efforts of wildland firefighters and other first responders across B.C., but also show how everyday people getting FireSmart is an important part too,” says Jono Saye, creative director with Vancouver’s SitePartners, FireSmart BC and BC Wildfire Service’s longstanding agency of record, a shop which specializes in the industrial and public sectors.

Saye explains that the campaign’s message was designed to empower the average British Columbian by helping them see themselves as part of the solution.

“We juxtaposed the chaos of firefighting with less intense (almost peaceful) FireSmart tasks,” Saye says. “We positioned both parts as equally important, while clearly stating the obvious: one part is much easier than facing fire head-on.”

Last year was a record-breaking and devastating wildfire season in British Columbia and across Canada, with 2,245 wildfires burning 2.84 million hectares of forest and land across the province in 2023. The BC Wildfire Service says last year was the most destructive season for wildfires in the province’s history.

The integrated OPYP campaign will run on TV and radio, as well as via OOH, and digital channels. There will also be grassroots community-level activations.

The campaign launched this week, and it will run through wildfire season (typically until September), with messaging evolving to reflect the severity of the season and the associated actions required of B.C. residents including evacuation preparedness and last-minute tasks.

Saye tells strategy that the core target audience for the campaign is home owners and renters in wildfire-prone areas of B.C., and that these individuals typically range from young families to retirees.

The FireSmart BC awareness campaign is an annual initiative, launching in the spring with an additional push into the summer based on fire season severity. This year’s campaign will have updated messaging more specific to summer when risks are anticipated to be high, Saye explains.