Brad Paisley and Rachel Platten are on your side, performing expanded versions of Nationwide's iconic jingle in the insurance company's new spots from Ogilvy & Mather.
Launched during NBC's Olympics coverage, the work presents "Songs for All Your Sides," striving to tell "the whole story of what Nationwide is and how we can support our members through their life stages," says client CMO Terrance Williams.
Both Paisley and Platten contribute to the lyrics in their respective spots, touching on issues like banking services and retirement plans. First up, country star Paisley works the frets, waxing poetic about man caves and RVs (which, let's face it, wouldn't seem out of place in most country songs):
In the "Behind the Songs" clip below, Paisley notes, "We're born knowing the Nationwide jingle as a species," which probably isn't far from wrong:
The familiar "Nationwide is on your side" line—introduced over a half-century ago, with a seven-note musical theme composed by jingle king Steve Karmen—translates well to the C&W milieu, and Paisley projects enough self aware, aw-shucks earnestness to pull it off.
Pop chanteuse Platten also scores, with her contribution playing off the campaign's "Sides" positioning:
Then she has some fun in the making-of clip, playfully struggling to devise rhymes for "side":
"With a fresh take on the jingle, our new marketing campaign tells the story of who we are today and the breadth of solutions we offer," Williams says.
Both artists convey immense likability while not taking things too seriously—smart, given the backlash Nationwide suffered when it got deadly serious with its Super Bowl commercial in 2015. (And unlike Peyton Manning, Paisley and Platten manage to sing on key, though word has it that neither can throw a 40-yard pass.)
Nationwide is the second big brand to revamp a classic jingle this summer, following this fresh take on a certain chrome-domed clean freak's familiar theme song.
While both campaigns play on nostalgia, they also tap into the persistent power of annoyingly catchy tunes to bore deep inside the brain, bidding a whole new generation to sing along.
CREDITS
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
Executive Creative Directors: Dustin Duke & Jon Wagner
Group Creative Directors: Edu Herran & Steve Lundberg
Executive Producer: Melanie Baublis
Managing Group Account Director: Jeff Traverso
Executive Group Account Director: Kari Steele
Big Sky Editorial
Editor: Chris Franklin
Executive Producer: Cheryl Panek
Radical Media
Directors: Josh & Xander
Executive Producer: Gregg Carlesimo