Nationwide isn’t sorry at all for its horrible Super Bowl ad
Someone at Nationwide thought it would be a good idea to kill everyone’s good time by showing an ad during the Super Bowl meant to remind everyone that sometimes their children will die in horrible accidents.
“Make Safe Happen” featured a young boy who ran down a list of things he can’t do: travel, get married, ride a bike. The commercial ends with all of us finding out that that’s because he’s dead.
The ad, aired Sunday during the Patriot’s 28-24 win over the Seahawks, didn’t have the feel of a PSA so much as a straight brand pitch, and was an instant buzzkill during what’s supposed to be a good time. People lost their minds on social media, and the Twitter handle @NationwideKills was quickly created.
The reaction was so swift and decidedly negative that Nationwide released a statement Sunday night standing by the ad:
“Preventable injuries around the home are the leading cause of childhood deaths in America. Most people don’t know that. Nationwide ran an ad during the Super Bowl that started a fierce conversation. The sole purpose of this message was to start a conversation, not sell insurance,” the statement said.
“We want to build awareness of an issue that is near and dear to all of us-the safety and well being of our children. We knew the ad would spur a variety of reactions. In fact, thousands of people visited MakeSafeHappen.com, a new website to help educate parents and caregivers with information and resources in an effort to make their homes safer and avoid a potential injury or death.
“Nationwide has been working with experts for more than 60 years to make homes safer. While some did not care for the ad, we hope it served to begin a dialogue to make safe happen for children everywhere.”
Check out some of the reaction below: