• by Aaron Baar , March 2, 2011

When people are exercising, it stands to reason they may also be thinking about eating healthily. So goes the theory behind the Tuna Council's first ever national out-of-home campaign.

The council, a division of the National Fisheries Institute, is embarking on a month-long campaign to place ads in nearly 1,000 health clubs in 20 markets promoting "Tuna the Wonderfish." The effort, financed in large part by the three major tuna brands (Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea and StarKist), will include static panels in high-traffic common areas and women's locker rooms, as well as branded 15-second messages on video screens, recipe brochure distribution and branded insulated nylon lunch bags distributed in select clubs.

The group opted for the health club platform after research showed that 61% of health club users shop after their workout and before going home, says Richard Hirsch, an executive vice president at the Health Club Media Network. "It's just part of their daily routine," Hirsch tells Marketing Daily. "This gives the Tuna Council the ability to reach the people they want to talk to when they're most engaged in making their lives healthier."

The ads, which supplement an ongoing print and television campaign, feature messages about the heart, weight management and healthy-living benefits of tuna, along with photos and new ideas about how to prepare tuna.

"Our research showed that Americans believe they were eating as much tuna as they always did," said Mary Anne Hansan, vice president of the National Fisheries Institute, in a statement. "Unfortunately, consumption and sales data did not back that up. Our goal for this campaign is to make canned and pouch tuna top of mind among active consumers who want a healthy meal that can be prepared in delicious and health-conscious ways."