Why are people singing the ‘Nationwide’ jingle on TikTok? Viral trend explained

TikTokers have been going viral with their takes on the classic Nationwide jingle, but where did it all start? Here’s what you need to know. 

Like all social media platforms, TikTok has been taken over by different trends and viral challenges at times.

Some of them can be pretty extreme – we’ve seen TikTokers steal cars in the name of going viral. Others, like the Sleepy Chicken trend, are a bit more bizarre. Though, at times, we get trends that are actually quite heartwarming. 

The Nationwide trend – or Nationwide Challenge, to others – certainly falls on the latter half of that. It’s been spawned from the iconic Nationwide insurance adverts on US television, where it involves a catchy tune that says: Nationwide is on your side. 

What is the Nationwide trend on TikTok?

Like a lot of TikTok trends, it has split into a few different camps. Some TikTokers have tried to replicate the original video and follow Erica and Zaya Campbell by having their kids sing the jingle in a similar manner. 

That was actually originally an Instagram reel, but has made its way over to TikTok. That side of the trend has attracted the #NationwideChallenge tag too. 

However, others have used it to show that Zaya singing the song has simply gotten it stuck in their heads. In some clips, TikTokers have joked that they’ll return home from a night out and start singing the song randomly, while others have just held the notes perfectly. 

In total, the clips have tacked up tens of millions of views and, while they have slowed down just a little, you’ll still see videos involving the original popping up.

The trend is a bit of a throwback to the early days of TikTok, when everything was about creatives rather than it being, by extension, another social media platform for users to share everything about their lives. 

Plus, it always helps when there is a catchy tune involved. The easier it is to get a jingle in someone’s head, the better chance you’ve got at sticking around.