For nearly five decades, a glowing “Happy Holidays” message has appeared each winter on Nationwide’s downtown Columbus skyscraper, becoming a familiar seasonal sight for residents and visitors.
The tradition began in 1977, one year before One Nationwide Plaza officially opened, according to Steve Hausfeld, Nationwide’s corporate archivist. The company had experimented with lighted holiday displays even earlier, starting in 1971 at its former headquarters on North High Street.
“So Nationwide released the first Happy Holidays message on the One Nationwide Plaza building in 1977,” Hausfeld said. “The tradition continued... and we’ve done it every year since then.”
Hausfeld said the message was designed to be inclusive and uplifting, reflecting values the company hoped the entire community could embrace. “It’s a positive message,” he said. “It’s a message that all of Columbus' visitors and citizens can get behind and support.”
Behind the scenes, the display requires careful coordination across hundreds of windows. Greg Adams, Nationwide’s vice president of corporate real estate, said a small team installs the display at the start of the season by adjusting blinds and placing cardboard cutouts over 648 windows.
“When the tradition first began, we didn’t have the building automation systems that we do today,” Adams said. “The lighting on each floor was done manually.”
Today, those systems allow the company to control lighting schedules after dark, even as employees use the building during the day. Adams said security staff also check each floor nightly to ensure the display remains intact.
“Our building is a significant piece of the Columbus skyline,” Hausfeld said. “And this message is a really positive message that I think adds a lot of value to the city.”
