A new advertising campaign by Nationwide Building Society has featured leading spoken word poet Hollie McNish in its first film, which was broadcast during The X Factor on Saturday night.

The Nationwide campaign is said to celebrate the voices and stories of ordinary people with messages written and performed by poets. Hollie’s film, featuring her poem ‘Little Things’, focuses on the experience of being a mum, and is said to have been recorded in one take. It begins: “I remember that feeling that nothing would be the same again,” and ends: “It’s those little things you do that melt my heart.”   

After it was screened, Hollie said on Twitter: “Thanks a lot for all the comments on the poem last night. Means a lot. Glad some of you liked it!”  

The Nationwide campaign also features two other poets, Yorkshire-based Matt Abbott, and Sugar J Poet, from south London. Matt Abbott’s poem, ‘This Place Is Ours’, is on the theme of home. He is founder of the spoken word record label, Nymphs & Thugs, and co-founder of A Firm of Poets.Sugar J Poet’s poem, ‘Face to Face’, focuses on loneliness.  

Sara Bennison, Nationwide’s chief marketing officer, said: “Nationwide has one of the best brand stories that has never been told, it is a brand of the people, by the people, for the people. So what better way to bring this to life than through the powerful voices of spoken word poets.”

Background: Write Out Loud interviews Hollie McNish 

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