Steve’s breakdown: The “Join the Nation” campaign is in full swing and we suspect they are looking to get the word out. Question: Does anybody else have a sneaky suspicion the ad account is going next? It’s just a little hateful – right?

COLUMBUS, OH: Nationwide Insurance has invited a number of firms to participate in a review for its PR agency-of-record business.

“It’s part of a periodic review to make sure we have the right partner in place to help manage and promote Nationwide’s reputation in the marketplace,” said a Nationwide spokesman. He added that the company has invited specific firms to participate in a closed process, and the review does not involve any other types of agency relationships.

The company has been working with Omnicom’s Fleishman-Hillard since 2004. The agency is participating in the review.

“We are very proud of the work we have done with Nationwide Insurance for the past eight years,” said a Fleishman-Hillard spokeswoman. “We look forward to the opportunity to continue and build on that relationship.”

As the company makes moves in PR, it’s also pushing new creative. Working with long-time creative partner McKinney, it recently launched a new “Join the Nation” campaign that features a Julia Roberts voice-over. The ad debuted during NBC’s broadcast of the Summer Olympics opening ceremonies.

In 2011, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. spent $247 million on measured media in the U.S. It’s understood that comparatively, PR is just a small fraction of that spend.

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