Nationwide taps K-Fed for Super Bowl TV ad

Nationwide taps K-Fedfor Super Bowl TV ad
COLUMBUS -- Britney Spears no longer wants him as her husband and audiences have been cool to his attempt at a rap music career, but Kevin Federline has Nationwide on his side.
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., known for its "On Your Side" slogan, plans to run a national ad during the Super Bowl, and K-Fed has been tapped to star, the Columbus-based company announced Wednesday.
The 30-second spot airing during the third quarter of the Feb. 4 game will be the latest installment in Nationwide's "Life Comes at You Fast" ad campaign. Previous celebrity ads in the series have featured male model Fabio and rapper M.C. Hammer.
In the new commercial, Federline, 28, goes from starring in a rap video surrounded by beauties and bling to working at a fast-food joint.
"No one has personified 'Life Comes at You Fast' in the media better than Federline," said Steven Schreibman, Nationwide vice president of advertising and brand management. "Our partnership with Kevin shows the world that he has a great sense of humor."
Spears filed for divorce from Federline in November after two years of marriage. The couple agreed to share custody of their two young children for this month, but after that, Federline will be allowed visits three afternoons per week.
'Idol' star to appearon Internet serial
LOS ANGELES -- The Internet serial "Lonelygirl15" will get star treatment Friday when "American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee plays a guest role.
McPhee was an early fan of the show, which unravels the mystery of a 16-year-old girl named Bree in short video segments posted on YouTube, Revver and an official Web site.
"I followed it from the beginning," McPhee told The Associated Press. "I thought it would be fun to meet all those characters."
McPhee's management contacted the creators of the Web series about a guest spot. The writers had already been devising a female character who briefly meets Bree and had been searching for ways to cast fans as characters. They readily agreed to cast McPhee in the nonrecurring role.
"She has an album coming out and thought it would be fun to go on the show," said "Lonelygirl15" co-creator Miles Beckett.
A song from McPhee's debut album, which hits stores Jan. 30, will be featured as background music on Friday's Webisode, although McPhee will not be seen singing.
Instead, the 22-year-old will play an unnamed character who meets Bree and her friends after they briefly emerge from hiding. The episode, titled "Truth or Dare," was filmed last week. McPhee did not get paid for her role.
McPhee said she enjoyed the experience, especially the natural way she was able to deliver her lines. The show, though scripted, is shot in the form of a journal, where characters speak off the cuff into a Web camera.
Today's birthdays
Singer-songwriter Bobby Goldsboro is 66. Actor-director Kevin Costner is 52. Country singer Mark Collie is 51. Comedian Dave Attell is 42. Actor Jesse L. Martin ("Law & amp; Order") is 38. Rapper DJ Quik is 37. Rock singer Jonathan Davis (Korn) is 36. Singer Christian Burns (BBMak) is 34.