By: Jennifer Bradley & Kelli Scherzinger Nationwide Gets in Name Game Instead

Super Bowl 2008 Although TM Advertising gave Nationwide more than six storyboard concepts for its 2008 Super Bowl spot, they were unable to choose one that impressed them. Previous Super Bowl spots included: Kevin Federline 2007 Fabio 2006 A recent study by Cymfony, a division of TNS Media Intelligence, named Nationwide's Federline ad the year's most successful celebrity spot. Moreover, the study said Federline slinging fries garnered Nationwide eight times the "buzz" of other Super Bowl ads.

However… Nationwide decided that sponsoring NASCAR was a better use for the extra money in their estimated $100 million annual budget. Despite being unable to find the perfect pitch concept, Nationwide said the one-day event just didn't compare with the almost yearlong opportunity of the company's new NASCAR sponsorship. In early October, Nationwide announced a seven-year deal estimated to be worth between $70 million and $80 million to become the title sponsor of the former Busch Series sponsored by Anheuser-Busch for 26 years. The series is now known as the NASCAR Nationwide Series.former Busch Series NASCAR Nationwide Series

“This is our first time stepping up and doing a gigantic naming-rights sponsorship of a series. No one in our category is doing this. For us it was about what was going to be the most consistent, long-term message.” Steven Schreibman, VP-advertising and brand management at Nationwide.

References Frazier M. Nationwide gets in name game instead. Advertising Age [serial online]. January 21, 2008;79(3):4-37. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 4, 2008.