Who wrote the Nationwide jingle?

When Steve Karmen put pen to paper in 1967 to create a new advertising hook for Nationwide, little did he know the seven note “Nationwide is on your side” jingle he composed would become one of the most iconic jingles in history. 

The evolution of Nationwide’s brand identity

1955: Farm Bureau Mutual changed name to Nationwide

• The name change efforts included a new logo, called the N-and-Eagle, and a new tagline, In Service with People.

1962: Logo and slogan were reconsidered

• Nationwide took its branding in a new direction, away from the In Service with People tagline and the sharp treatment of the original N-and-Eagle logo.

1963: Ogilvy, Benson and Mather

• Nationwide brought in a new ad agency, Ogilvy, Benson and Mather, to bring an “entirely new approach…to insurance merchandising.”
• From Ogilvy’s side, the company stated, “We seek clients who market a product we can be proud to advertise—a product which we can recommend without reservation to our own families.”

1964: Ogilvy proposed “Nationwide is on your side.”

• In May, Ogilvy proposed seven potential new slogans. Nationwide executives liked the primary recommendation, Nationwide is on your side.

1967: Ogilvy hired Elsmere Music to develop a jingle

• As television commercial spots became more popular in the later 1960s, Nationwide and Ogilvy decided to set the slogan to music for its new TV campaign promoting “blanket protection.”
• Elsmere Music was hired to create the jingle. Elsmere’s well-known jingle writer, Steve Karmen, composed both the musical score and drafted lyrics.

1968: N-and-Eagle reintroduced

• Following an extensive review of the logo by Ogilvy and Nationwide Graphic Arts department, the N-and-Eagle was reintroduced in advertising.
• Additionally, the standard coral/orange color was dropped, which allowed the “N” to reflect the style of the marketing campaign or specific ad.

1969: The jingle was introduced nationally

1990: Standardizing the color

• For the first time in Nationwide history, an official corporate color was selected in 1990. The color was called “process blue.”
• Larry Robinson, VP of P/C Marketing, explained the need for a standard color: “It is essential that Nationwide project a single, unified identity as a strong and well-managed family of companies… A significant method for gaining and maintaining increased market recognition is through Nationwide’s visual identity.”

1999: Introduction of the new “Framemark”

• On the cusp of the new millennium (1999), Nationwide introduced a new logo known as the Framemark (blue frame with white “Nationwide”). This was the first major branding evolution in the Internet era.
• The Framemark was described as, “a blue frame that comes to rest over a person in action, symbolizing the many different ways Nationwide can be a part of a customer’s life.” The first campaign was known as “Picture this."

2014: One Nationwide allows the eagle to fly again

• In 2014, under CEO Steve Rasmussen, Nationwide aligned all products and services under the most recognized brand, Nationwide. The transition was known as One Nationwide. To highlight the shift, the company introduced an updated version of the classic N-and-Eagle logo alongside the iconic Nationwide is on your side tagline.