Snuffy Smith Ads Recognized With First Place Award

The first place award.

A series of public service ads created by King Features’ Barney Google and Snuffy Smith cartoonist John Rose won First Place in the Tennessee Press Association’s Ideas Contest for Best Use of Humor in an Ad.  The awards ceremony took place at the annual convention of the Tennessee Press Association in Franklin, Tennessee on July 13, 2018.

The first in the series of the public service ads.

In late 2016, when portions of eastern Tennessee were hit with devastating wildfires, Rose was deeply affected. Rose lives in Virginia, but has vacationed in the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg areas of Tennessee since he was a child. For the last five years, he has also been a guest of the City Of Pigeon Forge for Wilderness Wildlife Week, giving Snuffy Smith Chalk Talks and Cartooning For Kids workshops.

The second in the series of the public service ads.

After seeing news of the fires, like many people, Rose wanted to help.  So, almost immediately, he began to develop a public service newspaper ad campaign centering on Snuffy Smith and the theme of preventing wildfires. Rose came up with the headline “Snuff Out Wildfires Before They Start” and contacted Jack McElroy, editor of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.  McElroy loved the idea and the Knoxville News-Sentinel partnered with Rose and King Features to create this series of newspaper ads for the Knoxville News-Sentinel and the entire Tennessee Press Association.  The ads began running in 2017.

The third in the series of the public service ads.

The fourth in the series of the public service ads.

Rose said, “It feels very good to be a part of this worthwhile experience that will hopefully make a difference in an area of the United States that I love.  The Snuffy Smith art was fun to create and the message is very important.  I am very thankful to the Tennessee Press Association for recognizing these ads.  I am also extremely thankful to King Features and Jack McElroy and the Knoxville News-Sentinel for working with me on this project.”

The fifth in the series of the public service ads.

The sixth in the series of the public service ads.