Ohio's State Bird watches over the Cardinal Gate at the Fair
I went down to the Ohio State Fair on Saturday for the first time in about twenty-five or thirty years.
It's pretty different now from the last time I visited. The fairgrounds used to have a layout very similar to the Lorain County Fair. It had a big track in the middle and a grandstand for visitors to watch the concerts and attractions, with the whole thing surrounded by food vendors and buildings for the livestock. But I had forgotten that the track and grandstand were removed back in the 1990s. So it all looks very different. The now-expanded Midway with all the rides practically rivals Cedar Point. And that's where all the biggest crowds were congregated.
Back when I was a member of the All-Ohio State Fair Band in 1976, I knew the fairgrounds like the back of my hand. But now, with all the new, huge, buildings built in the last few decades – one for concerts, one with an incredible variety of sit-down restaurants, one that's like a mini IX Center, I had a hard time even finding the Rhodes Center, where I stayed during my time at the Fair. It's still the home of the All-Ohio State Fair Band. And it looks the same as it did in 1976.
I was able to catch part of a concert by the current Band. They played their concert in the Rhodes Center auditorium rather than an outdoor venue such as the Natural Resource area or the Rhodes Center lawn. I never saw them 'ballyhoo' around the Fair either. But it was just as well, because it was hot.
For lunch, it was a Brady tradition to head over to the Schmidt's outdoor restaurant for a brat. Our family visited the main restaurant in German Village many times over the years, so we always hit the Fair outlet too. My bratwurst was excellent of course. It was so big I couldn't even fit it all in the photo!
Another Brady tradition was to go see the Butter Cow, in the Dairy Building. In the old days, you just had to know it was in there – there was no sign outside. But that's not the case now.
And just as before, it's virtually impossible to take a photo of the buttery bovine without some reflection from the many windows showing up in the picture. But I like the top-hatted calf; that's some well-dressed veal.
I saw as much of the Fair as I could. The Bricker Building had information booths and exhibits from all the government agencies. In the ODOT booth, I was surprised to see a display of vintage die-cut highways signs from the old days. They looked like the real thing to me. The numbers are actual highways in Ohio.
But for me, the high point of my visit to the Fair was yet another Brady tradition: going to see Smokey Bear in the Natural Resources Park. I hadn't yet seen the new animatronic version that was installed in 2015. It replaced the Smokey that had been there since 1959 (the year I was born).
Smokey looked great. He's animatronic, but curiously didn't move his arms while I was there – just his muzzle when he talked. I was a little disappointed that no attempt was made by whoever was doing his voice to mimic the gruff, low, familiar sound of the real Smokey that we all remember from TV and radio commercials. The Ohio State Fair Smokey just sounded like a young, glib car salesman. Kids seemed to stay away from him out of fear.
What was neat, though, was that behind Smokey was a historic 60-foot steel lookout fire tower that was originally built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps in Pike County. It was moved to the fairgrounds in 2016. It used to be slightly taller but was shortened when moved and reassembled.
Soon, it was time to go, and I bid farewell to the Ohio State Fair – probably for good. It was interesting going back after so long but I felt a little wistful. The Fair I remember is long gone, but the current one is arguably better now – bigger, with more rides, more air-conditioned buildings and more family-friendly activities.
But my consolation is that Lorain County Fair time – my favorite time of year – is almost here. And I can't wait.
On the way back from Ruggles Beach, I noticed this Smokey Bear billboard on the south side of US Route 6, just a little east of Risden Road. I was happy to see it, because you don't really see a lot of advertising these days for the fire prevention bear. Incidentally, Smokey celebrated his 80th anniversary of being on the job last year.
The 'Smokey Bear Hug' ad campaign shown on the billboard does a nice job of reinforcing the idea that he really exists. Too many campaigns in recent years seem to have thought it was hokey to do that, so instead made him into an abstract concept. I like the idea that he's out there in the woods doing his job, but rarely seen (sorta like Bigfoot).
Here's a TV commercial from the same "Bear Hug" campaign.
At least Smokey looks like himself again in the commercials. Quite a difference from the terrifying version of Smokey that was unveiled back in 2011.
Unfortunately, Smokey's current official website continues with the ill-fated effort to render him more realistically, with a creepy illustration of him as a rather bulky bruin.
Has he been raiding pic-a-nic baskets with brother bear Yogi? He looks like he's been shoveling in too many tourist-type goodies.
Anyway, this (below) is the one, true, Smokey Bear. Happy Belated Anniversary, Smokey!
Smokey Bear has been a favorite advertising mascot of mine since childhood (probably because we were a camping family), as well as a recurring topic on this blog. So when I saw the above page from the July 13, 1972 Journal with a small Smokey ad used as a space filler, I knew I had to post it.
When I was a kid, you often saw Smokey Bear PSAs tossed in with the Saturday morning cartoons, or early on Sunday morning TV. I think stations were provided the commercials for free, and could air them wherever they wanted.
You don't see Smokey too often today (at least not on GRIT TV, which I watch all the time). When he does appear, he's advocating the prevention of wildfires, not forest fires. But fifty years ago, he was still on message, and a simple closeup of his face accompanied by his tagline was a powerful reminder to be careful in the woods with matches, cigarettes, etc.
Smokey is still a busy bruin in the 2000s. The current campaign (which you can see on his website), seems to be moving away from the idea of Smokey as a real, live bear that wears pants and carries a shovel. Instead, he is presented as a digital entity, literally a floating, disembodied head that speaks in (ugh) celebrity voices, thus destroying the image that was carefully built and reinforced over the last 75+ years.
Here's a screen grab.
I suppose the current ads are slightly better than the ones from ten years ago, which featured Smokey as a shaggy, menacing, CGI character that looked like something that needed to be shot with a tranquilizer dart and relocated to a remote wilderness.
Did you know that October 3-9, 2021 is Fire Prevention Week?
The week is almost over, so it’s about time that I posted this. It’s the full-page Fire Prevention Week ad that ran in the Lorain Journal on October 3, 1971 – fifty years ago this month.
You can tell it’s from the 1970s, because of the fairly dramatic, stylized graphic. No Sparky the Fire Dog in this ad (unfortunately).
Is Fire Prevention Week still officially acknowledged in the newspapers? It’s only a once-a-year event, but a pretty important one at that – so I hope it is.
As usual, it’s interesting to see who the ad sponsors are. It looks a few of them are still around, such as Somers Agency, Janasko Insurance and the successors to the banks listed.
But forget about picking up a burger at Sandy’s Drive-in, or stopping for a snort at the “New” Eddie’s Bar.
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One of the features of Fire Prevention Week was an annual poster contest for school children sponsored by the Ford Motor Company.
Here’s an ad announcing an art show of the posters at Midway Mall. It ran in the Journal on October 5, 1971.
If I remember correctly, the winners received a savings bond and a tour of the Lorain plant. (I should remember, because I was one of the winners when I was in eighth grade in 1972. But more about that next year!)
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Since Sparky the Fire Dog was not to be seen in the 1971 Journal ad above, we’ll include the fire-prevention pooch in this post by reaching back to the time of his origin.
Here’s a great advertisement courtesy of the National Fire Protection Association archives. It’s from when Sparky was first introduced, circa 1952. He’s paired with fellow fire-prevention mascot Smokey Bear. (Hey, why is Smokey wearing a long-sleeved shirt, instead of being bear, I mean, bare chested?)
The ad notes that “Sparky talks – He’s animated – He’s great.”
What is that all about? From what I can see, the ad is referring to the Sparky suit shown in the ad, which when worn by firemen teaching children about fire prevention, would allow Sparky to ‘come to life.’
Here’s a vintage newspaper article from the Petersburg Progress-Index of October 1, 1958 showing the same Sparky suit.
Anyway, for more fire prevention information, visit the National Fire Prevention Association website, as well as Sparky’s own doggone website.
Smokey's fur looked a bit moth-eaten when I visited him in 2008 at the Fair
I'm a big Smokey Bear fan. That's why I found the news that the Ohio State Fair was planning to retire their current Smokey Bear – and replace him with a new version – pretty interesting.
The beloved fire prevention bear has greeted fairgoers since 1959. He's been a fixture over in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources area for years.
Here's the link to Smokey's page on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources website.
Apparently Smokey is now in pretty poor condition, and the plan is to replace him with a new $80,250 "animatronic" version. (The plan is temporarily on hold, but it sounds like it will eventually happen. You can read about it here on the Columbus Dispatch website.)
I don't go to the State Fair every year, but when we do go, a stop to see Smokey to grab a photo is a must. I don't have a problem with a brand new high-tech version of him, as long as it's the classic Smokey – and not the unsettlingly realistic version that was seen in commercials a few years ago (that I complained about here).
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Speaking of the classic, lovable Smokey Bear, I was reminded that Sandy of Sheffield Lake sent me this keen Smokey Bear comic book a couple years ago. (Sandy said that she picked it up at a ranger station at either Cook Forest State Park or Black Moshannon State Park in Pennsylvania.)
It tells the true story of how a badly burned bear cub – rescued in the aftermath of a forest fire in New Mexico in 1950 – became the Smokey Bear who lived at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. for years. (The Forest Service probably gave up the idea when it became apparent that it wasn't a good idea to have a Smokey Bear who would eventually die.)
Anyway, here's the back cover of the comic book (below). It's a reproduction of a classic Smokey poster – and one of my favorites, with plenty of cute critters.
Feel like doing some light reading? You can read an online PDF of the comic book right here!
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UPDATE
Here's a look at the NEW Smokey Bear at the Ohio State Fair. He bears a fine resemblance to the famous forest fire-prevention mascot!
Anyone who has followed this blog for a while knows that I have a real fondness for classic advertising mascots. And one of my all-time favorites is Smokey Bear.
It's probably because my family camped so much at National Parks, as well as State Parks, in the 1960s. Inevitably, there would be Smokey Bear signs in the ranger stations, on park kiosks and even on some trees in the camping areas.
Although Smokey had a very serious message, the bear was so gentle and likable that it was easy to see why he was a favorite of kids.
That's why I was so disappointed to see a billboard last week on the way home from work featuring the brash "new" Smokey Bear that's currently featured in a TV campaign.
What's that? You didn't know there was a new version of the beloved fire prevention spokesbear? Sadly, there is – and I pretty much dislike him. Here's what the billboard – seen from I-90 Westbound just past the W. 117th Street exit – looks like (below).
This "new" Smokey has shaggy, computer-generated fur and realistic eyes. But what he doesn't have is heart. He looks like he could rip you apart limb from limb with his bear, uh bare hands – and then scoop up the remains with his shovel!
Not to be completely negative, I think the current TV commercials are somewhat clever and entertaining. But I still think Smokey looks far too menacing – and needlessly "realistic" – especially his muzzle.
The "new" Smokey is also featured exclusively on the Smokey Bear website (below) with the classic Smokey relegated to the history section.
Anyways, I prefer the old panda-like Smokey. Remember when he looked like this (below)?
You could tell right away that he was a friend of children and his fellow forest animals.
Through the years, Smokey appeared on countless posters, and in a variety of books and comics that reinforced that strong connection to kids.
He also appeared in animated TV commercials like this one (below) that appealed to kids. Smokey makes a cameo near the end of the spot, which is narrated by Paul Frees.
The "new" computer-generated Smokey is annoying to me because the creative team involved makes no attempt to breath life into the beloved character that all of us have known throughout our lives using the wonderful technology that is available. Instead, they redesigned Smokey's classic, well-known appearance and personality (that have been consistent since the 1940s) into something more "hip" and realistic – thus removing almost all of the goodwill and equity in the original image.
I can barely bear this new bear.
However, all is not lost. The "new" Smokey's appearance seems to be limited to the TV campaign and the website. You can still purchase lots of items featuring the classic Smokey Bear through a quarterly catalog published by Woodland Enterprises (below) by special agreement with the U.S. Government.
Here's the link to the company's website, where you can shop online or request a printed catalog.
Anyway, here's hoping the new CGI Smokey attracts some attention with the TV campaign, and then quietly disappears into the woods.
