BRANTLEY GILBERT: READY FOR
HIS CLOSEUP (UPDATE)

Brantley Gilbert is the new face of country at Apple Music. The CMA Song of the Year nominee stars in a new Apple Music spot that debuted 7/23 during NBC’s Pre-Race Show before the Brantley Gilbert Big Machine Brickyard 400.

The commercial, directed by Anthony Mandler, known for his work with Jay-Z, Rhianna, The Killers and Drake, was shot over two days outside Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee. The 60-second spot, produced under the creative direction of Apple's Larry Jackson, seeks to capture the essence and attitude of the platinum-selling artist. Gilbert rides through the countryside on a motorcycle, embracing the endless possibilities of the open road, basking in the freedom and simple beauty of small-town America.

“I’ve never been one for commercials,” Gilbert said. “But when we started talking to the folks at Apple, they were saying, ‘We want to capture you, the way you live and the values you hold. We want people to see your world, show them what you hear and respond to. If they see you, it says everything.’”

Big Machine Label Group President and CEO Scott Borchetta believes Gilbert is an ideal embodiment for Apple Music. “We’re always looking for the right moments to crystalize careers. Moments that represent the artist and the artistic vision,” he said. “Apple Music’s vision for Brantley and his music aligned perfectly with his own,” says. “He represents so much more than even any single song; he’s emblematic of a slice of America that can’t be bought, or sold, or stopped. It’s heroic, and whomever we teamed with, the alliance needed to represent that.”