• Forbes CMO Network, Monday, April 20, 2009 11 AM

Marketers such as Ford, ExxonMobil, Nationwide Insurance, Verizon and Alabama Power are putting employees in ads in an effort to make their brands seem more transparent and trustworthy, Helen Coster reports.

And American Honda Motor Co. is featuring at least 30 employees, as well as CEO Takeo Fukui and a few celebrities, in three seven-and-a-half minute online films dubbed "Dream the Impossible" that each explores a different theme in documentary style. In "Kick out the Ladder," for example, senior manager Jim Keller talks about Honda's culture. "If people ... see the final result of their work, they're much more committed to it," he says.

Nationwide takes a similar approach with its new TV, print and radio campaign called "I Am On Your Side." The TV ads, directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Errol Morris, feature Nationwide claims adjusters and customer service representatives talking about their experiences on the job.

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