Getting the Extra Exposure from a PSA

Public service announcements -- those informational spots that air for free on radio and TV -- are technically not supposed to be thought of in commercial terms, but Erica Iacono writes that "there are ways for corporate sponsors to gain recognition" through PSAs. In a PR Week feature examining how to get "the extra mile out of a PSA," Iacono highlights a King Oscar sardines partnership with the Women's Sports Foundation. Their PSA stars the Olympic swimmer Katrina Radke, who suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, and says that exercise and a diet rich in Omega-3 can help with the illness. "At one point, the spot shows Radke opening a can of King Oscar sardines for lunch," PR Week reports. "Although a corporate entity's involvement with a PSA is traditionally supposed to be kept quiet, [the PSA's producer Ray] Salo says there are subtle ways to indicate the relationship without going over the line."