Brantley Gilbert made the most of an opportunity on July 23, debuting a new, 60-second black-and-white Apple Music commercial during a NASCAR race that bore his name this year, the Brantley Gilbert Big Machine Brickyard 400.
The spot will likely appeal to fans of both country and rock, two genres that trail pop and hip-hop in the penetration of streaming services. Shot over two days near Leiper's Fork, Tenn., the video incorporates images of a wide-open field, motorcycles on a country road, rural neighbors in a small-town diner and an American flag, backed by snippets of Gilbert's current single, "The Ones That Like Me," plus Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama," Kendrick Lamar's "Backseat Freestyle" and Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild." Other acts whose names are visible in Gilbert's playlist include Johnny Cash, Metallica and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
Apple Music touts a three-month free trial in the spot, after Gilbert delivers a simple hook: "My country. My people. My music. Apple Music."
Gilbert suggests in a press release that he is reticent to lend his brand to advertisements, but notes that Apple's plan to capture his lifestyle won him over. "To me, when you're being real, that's the best way to chase the music," he said. "When you're doing that, you're hitting right up in the place where the songs come from."
Gilbert performed a pre-race set for the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis, and Carly Pearce delivered the national anthem.
Watch his Apple Music ad below:
