Sanjaya Malakar, an interesting former contestant on American Idol will feature in a new ad for insurance and financial services company Nationwide.

Sanjaya will be the next star in the Life Comes at You Fast campaign, which has previously included Kevin Federline, Fabio and MC Hammer.

In the Nationwide ad, Sanjaya visits a monastery in India to seek advice and is told that he needs a retirement plan, and some work on his hair, which was one of the highlights of his American Idol appearance.

Nationwide said this is the third year it has created advertising targeting the South Asian market.

Sanjaya’s ad is one of six new spots to specifically target the South Asian market.

Tariq Khan, Nationwide’s vice president for Market Development and Diversity said:

The rapidly growing South Asian market is very important to us. The creative work in these print ads and TV spots reflect traditions and situations that South Asians can relate to.