When the results of Boards' Best of Year survey were tallied, few trends were as surprising as the success of public service announcements. Of the top 20 spots, fully 25% were PSAs, and all of those were imbued with authentic humanity - the good, the bad and the repugnant.

Though it's easy to finger a creaking economy for the presence of PSAs on awards lists, the desperation of production companies and the lack of paying boards is a hackneyed tale. As those Boards spoke with suggest, passion is always the precursor to memorable spots. Consequently, the creative that has sprung from three culturally distinct geopolitical regions has given a global sense of what's important post-9/11.

"It has been an emotional year," observes David Droga on the success of the genre. As Saatchi & Saatchi's CD on Frank Budgen's "Cartoon" for Britain's NSPCC, Droga knows how affecting social issues can inspire creative.

As one of five PSAs in our Top 20, "Cartoon" - in at number 13 - garnered much attention. Though the subversive narrative on child abuse was a convincing sell, it was denied the Cannes Grand Prix - a formality, some say, of the panel's policy against awarding top honors for charity spots. Still, "Cartoon" delivered its message so well that, according to Droga, the actor who played the spot's venomous father received public abuse for his portrayal.

Though many argue that creating good PSAs is easy because of built-in emotive qualities, wildly different production circumstances make it impossible for such generalizations to stick. For one, "Cartoon" smashes the myth that all PSAs are made pro bono. The spot was fully funded by the NSPCC - a powerful UK lobby group, and a long-term client of Saatchi, London.

Secondly, not all PSAs come with the gift of 100% creative control. "You're not always dealing with an easy-to-please client and it isn't always a cake walk," says Bryan Buckley, a hungry man director and a veteran craftsman of PSAs. Though Buckley is not alluding to BBDO's Bronze Lion-winning "Tourists" for Citizens Against Terrorism, he has plenty of experience dealing with the levels of bureaucracy that can surround pro bono work. "There are often so many layers that ending up with really sanitized work is a possibility," says Buckley, who has volunteered his expertise on more than a few PSAs for NYC.

So what's the goal? Please the client, or please yourself? "For us, the goal is pleasing the American public," Buckley says, emphatic that believing in the cause is an absolute necessity. "There are no tax write-offs, so this is done out of the goodness of your heart."

"Tourists" CD/AD and copywriter Gerry Graf agrees, but believes the urgency of the message often translates into more efficient, gratifying production. "You can get them done faster, and if it's good it does a lot for morale," he says. Graf is also quick to point out that good work must walk a fine line: "Many PSAs end up too heart warming to be effective."