Nashville resident sings on big Super Bowl ad

In the modern age of YouTube and social media campaigns, you could have watched dozens of this year's Super Bowl TV ads well before the big game. But one company is famous for keeping its ads under lock and key until they hit the airwaves.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has been behind some of the most powerful, headline-grabbing Super Bowl spots in recent years. Remember Clint Eastwood's "Halftime in America" speech? Eminem proclaiming "This is Motor City," and Bob Dylan telling the world, "We will build your car?" One of the biggest mysteries leading into Sunday night's game was who would be featured this year in the company's notoriously top-secret ads.

East Nashville resident Marc Scibilia was one of a few people in the world who knew the answer — because it was him.

The folk-rock singer-songwriter's rendition of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" served as the soundtrack for the new 90-second spot for the Jeep Renegade. The commercial aired during the third quarter on Sunday, and featured scenic views from around the country and then the rest of the globe.

It's been less than a month since the 28-year-old first heard that the company was looking for a new version of the song. He had only a day to record and submit his take, but as a songwriter, he wanted to handle the 1940 folk classic with extreme care. He delved into the history of the tune, which Guthrie wrote in response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America."

"It feels like my story in some ways," Scibilia said. "It feels like it really resonates in 2015. I had to wrap my head around the emotion, and I tried to capture some of the darkness in my recording."

To do so, Scibilia made a bold choice. On the refrain, "This land was made for you and me," he decided to play a minor chord, giving the song an air of uncertainty.

"I kept thinking, 'Should I just do the straight-ahead campfire sort of thing?' " he recalled with a laugh. "But I just felt like my voice and the lyrics really wanted it to have an edge."

Soon, Scibilia was in a recording studio with the company's marketing chief, Oliver Francois, and two other musicians being considered for the ad. After a few more studio visits to make requested tweaks to his recording, Scibilia learned he had been selected just last week.

Just how secretive was this project? Even Scibilia didn't see the ad until it aired during the game. But ahead of the big day, he recorded a second version of the song to release digitally after the commercial aired, and filmed a music video in Nashville last week.

He also had to buy a TV for his home. He hosted a Super Bowl viewing party for his friends, many of whom are local music-makers.

"I've got a lot of good friends that are just as deserving or more deserving than I am of this opportunity," he said. "I don't play country music, so we're kind of a minority in town to be doing the alternative, even though that scene is growing tremendously. So it feels like a win for everyone."

Contact Dave Paulson at 615-664-2278 or on Twitter at @ItsDavePaulson

About Scibilia

Singer-songwriter Marc Scibilia, 28, is a native of Buffalo, N.Y., and moved to Nashville 10 years ago. He has released three EPs, most recently 2013's "The Shape I'm In," and a new album produced by Butch Walker is set to hit stores later this year.