Our childhoods were filled with plenty of fun, imaginative characters. Some of the most memorable characters, in fact, were mascots created for public service purposes in an attempt to keep us from being a bunch of terrible citizens. They may not have made us laugh as much as Elmo or scare the living hell out of us like E.T., but we learned a lot from these memorable mascots, some of which are older than our parents.
Smokey Bear (or Smokey the Bear)
![public service mascots, smokey the bear]()
Created in 1944, Smokey is the icon of wildlife preservation, as well as the longest standing public service mascot in history. The bear himself has been reinvented multiple times, getting an updated look over the course of more than 70 years. The original slogan of the woodsy bear, "Care Can Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires," was reworked into a more personal PSA, "Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires," soon after in 1947. Per the recent rampage of wild fires in America and stiffening of smoking and outdoor fire laws, the slogan was amended to "Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires" in 2001.
Woodsy Owl
![public service mascots, woodsy owl]()
Created in 1971, Woodsy Owl was a forest friend to Smokey The Bear, except with more emphasis on keeping our wildlife clean and safe for its inhabitants. His classic line was "Give a Hoot - Don't Pollute," created by Smokey The Bear's original PSA producer Harold Bell and U.S. forest ranger Chuck Williams. Woodsy's current motto is "Lend a Hand - Care for the Land."
Sparky the Fire Dog
![public service mascots, sparky the fire dog]()
The official mascot of the National Fire Protection Association is none other than the classic fire station Dalmatian, Sparky. Created in 1951, Sparky was the household helper, teaching kids about fire safety at home, in school and for special occasions like the holidays when dad is likely to burn down the house using a dry Christmas tree and some burnt-out bulbs. In Sparky's 60-plus years of fire safety, fire-related accidents have been on the decline with his increasing public service appearances.
McGruff the Crime Dog
![public service mascots, mcgruff the crime dog]()
He's the tough trench-coated bloodhound created in 1980 by Saatchi & Saatchi, an advertising agency working with the National Crime Prevention Council. His mission was to keep kids in school with emphasis on stopping bullying and drug prevention with his motto, "Take a Bite Out of Crime." McGruff's name was used to set up houses - started in 1982 - that kids could go to for safe haven. In an ironic twist, the actor who played McGruff was later sentenced to 16 years in prison for drug and gun charges (he owned a grenade launcher). But let's not focus on that.
Scruff McGruff
![public service mascots, scruff mcgruff]()
McGruff's nephew, Scruff McGruff, gave children a more relatable character to take lessons from. McGruff was designed as an older, hard-nosed teacher whereas Scruff was just like any kid, skateboarding and getting into trouble but relaying messages from his uncle to the children. Scruff appeared in commercials alongside his uncle in the early '90s.
Faux Paw the Techno Cat
![public service mascots, faux paw the techno cat]()
Appearing as well alongside McGruff was his feline friend, Faux Paw, the Internet safety awareness mascot. The nonprofit organization, ikeepsafe, created a short television series in which Faux Paw teaches children the vital lessons of safe Internet practice, you know, to avoid "accidentally" stumbling onto porn sites and meeting creepy old dudes in chatrooms. Along with chatroom etiquette, she teaches kids how to keep their personal information out of the wrong hands and what to do in an uncomfortable situation. What could be uncomfortable on the Internet?
Daren the Lion (D.A.R.E.)
![public service mascots, daren the lion]()
Originally, Yogi the Bear was the spokesperson - err, spokesanimal - for D.A.R.E., but upon his strut to stardom, the program decided to conjure up a new character whose identity would be linked solely to their anti-drug campaign. Created by Warner Bros. Animation, Daren became the face of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, making in-lion appearances to classrooms and D.A.R.E. events.
Eddie Eagle
![public service mascots, eddie eagle]()
In addition to wildfire safety, another seemingly relevant crime preventing character is Eddie Eagle, the official gun safety mascot since 1988. Created by The National Rifle Association, Eddie has taught more than 23 million kids - hopefully adults too - about the dangers of firearms, personal responsibility and discipline for nearly three decades. Eddie's classic lesson is "If you see a gun: Stop! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult." Of course, if you're an adult, you could just tell another adult.
KC & Cruiser
![public service mascots, kc and cruiser]()
The police cop German Shepherd is a robotics mascot created for the Crime Prevention Team who has made a name for himself at public fairs, amusement parks and educational assemblies. Rolling up in his pimped out robotics police cruiser, KC is built for children's school, home and neighborhood safety.
Vince and Larry, the Crash Test Dummies
![public service mascots, vince and larry the crash test dummies]()
Finally, who can forget about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's two most famous dummies, Vince and Larry. Through their slapstick antics, we learned a lot about the importance of seat belts. We just hope they're still doing okay.
Smokey Bear (or Smokey the Bear)
Created in 1944, Smokey is the icon of wildlife preservation, as well as the longest standing public service mascot in history. The bear himself has been reinvented multiple times, getting an updated look over the course of more than 70 years. The original slogan of the woodsy bear, "Care Can Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires," was reworked into a more personal PSA, "Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires," soon after in 1947. Per the recent rampage of wild fires in America and stiffening of smoking and outdoor fire laws, the slogan was amended to "Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires" in 2001.
Woodsy Owl
Created in 1971, Woodsy Owl was a forest friend to Smokey The Bear, except with more emphasis on keeping our wildlife clean and safe for its inhabitants. His classic line was "Give a Hoot - Don't Pollute," created by Smokey The Bear's original PSA producer Harold Bell and U.S. forest ranger Chuck Williams. Woodsy's current motto is "Lend a Hand - Care for the Land."
Sparky the Fire Dog
The official mascot of the National Fire Protection Association is none other than the classic fire station Dalmatian, Sparky. Created in 1951, Sparky was the household helper, teaching kids about fire safety at home, in school and for special occasions like the holidays when dad is likely to burn down the house using a dry Christmas tree and some burnt-out bulbs. In Sparky's 60-plus years of fire safety, fire-related accidents have been on the decline with his increasing public service appearances.
McGruff the Crime Dog
He's the tough trench-coated bloodhound created in 1980 by Saatchi & Saatchi, an advertising agency working with the National Crime Prevention Council. His mission was to keep kids in school with emphasis on stopping bullying and drug prevention with his motto, "Take a Bite Out of Crime." McGruff's name was used to set up houses - started in 1982 - that kids could go to for safe haven. In an ironic twist, the actor who played McGruff was later sentenced to 16 years in prison for drug and gun charges (he owned a grenade launcher). But let's not focus on that.
Scruff McGruff
McGruff's nephew, Scruff McGruff, gave children a more relatable character to take lessons from. McGruff was designed as an older, hard-nosed teacher whereas Scruff was just like any kid, skateboarding and getting into trouble but relaying messages from his uncle to the children. Scruff appeared in commercials alongside his uncle in the early '90s.
Faux Paw the Techno Cat
Appearing as well alongside McGruff was his feline friend, Faux Paw, the Internet safety awareness mascot. The nonprofit organization, ikeepsafe, created a short television series in which Faux Paw teaches children the vital lessons of safe Internet practice, you know, to avoid "accidentally" stumbling onto porn sites and meeting creepy old dudes in chatrooms. Along with chatroom etiquette, she teaches kids how to keep their personal information out of the wrong hands and what to do in an uncomfortable situation. What could be uncomfortable on the Internet?
Daren the Lion (D.A.R.E.)
Originally, Yogi the Bear was the spokesperson - err, spokesanimal - for D.A.R.E., but upon his strut to stardom, the program decided to conjure up a new character whose identity would be linked solely to their anti-drug campaign. Created by Warner Bros. Animation, Daren became the face of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, making in-lion appearances to classrooms and D.A.R.E. events.
Eddie Eagle
In addition to wildfire safety, another seemingly relevant crime preventing character is Eddie Eagle, the official gun safety mascot since 1988. Created by The National Rifle Association, Eddie has taught more than 23 million kids - hopefully adults too - about the dangers of firearms, personal responsibility and discipline for nearly three decades. Eddie's classic lesson is "If you see a gun: Stop! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult." Of course, if you're an adult, you could just tell another adult.
KC & Cruiser
The police cop German Shepherd is a robotics mascot created for the Crime Prevention Team who has made a name for himself at public fairs, amusement parks and educational assemblies. Rolling up in his pimped out robotics police cruiser, KC is built for children's school, home and neighborhood safety.
Vince and Larry, the Crash Test Dummies
Finally, who can forget about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's two most famous dummies, Vince and Larry. Through their slapstick antics, we learned a lot about the importance of seat belts. We just hope they're still doing okay.