Almost everyone knows who the bear in the ranger hat and blue jeans is but there is still confusion today as to what his real name is. Smokey Bear was created by the Ad Council in 1944 and his message of "Only You can Prevent Wildfires" is known around the world. The confusion that still persists about Smokey's real name has its origins in the song "Smokey the Bear written by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins in 1952. The songwriters added "the" in Smokey's name in order to keep the rhythm of the song and the small change has caused confusion every since. A popular joke that began after the song became popular was Q: What's Smokey The Bear's middle name? A: "The". In fact Smokey's real name is Smokey Bear and although many know the classic song and joke there is no "the" in his official name.