The most talked about Super Bowl commercial was aired by Nationwide insurance (above). It featured a tousled-haired boy describing all the milestones and adventures he would miss and then explaining that he would never do those things because he died in an accident, the number one cause of child deaths. It was manipulative, depressing and seemed to have no point whatsoever. Does Nationwide want us to buy insurance for our kids because they have a high likelihood of dying? Do they want us to buy insurance and then try to keep our kids safe so they’ll never have to pay out? According to social research company Amobee, the response on social media to that ad was 64% negative, making it the worst received ad overall.
Nationwide has issued a statement defending the ad, and claiming that they did market research ahead of time. They also have a companion website, MakeSafeHappen.com, that they’re plugging. Here’s their statement, via Buzzfeed:
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. 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.
I heard the spokesperson from Nationwide on NPR’s morning edition and he said basically the same thing: that they tried to strike a balance and they they wanted to raise awareness of the issue of child safety. There was no apology and no acknowledgment that the ad was in poor taste. NPR also reported that people who have lost children were devastated by that ad.
It doesn’t make sense that the kid had to die. He could have said something like, “I can do these things because my mom/dad/sibling saved me from a preventable accident. When I was four, X happened.” He didn’t have to die, it was just a horrible ad and Nationwide is tone deaf for both airing it and defending it.
I scrolled through the Make Safe Happen website and it describes all sorts of scenarios that can be life-threatening for children, like swallowing button batteries. There are some useful tips for keeping kids safe, but all this information is readily available elsewhere. Plus, no matter what you do to keep your children safe, things are going to happen. My friend was just telling me how her son got a small object lodged deep in his ear, and how her daughter needed stitches from a freak accident. She couldn’t have prevented either of those things. Nationwide is not telling parents anything we don’t already know and are already vigilant about, they just wanted “to start a conversation” and get attention. Guess it worked for them.
Nationwide spokesperson Joe Case told Reuters that they’re considering whether to continue to run the ad. He said the response “was stronger than we anticipated” and “we’ll gauge whether or not to run the ad more.” He also added that “We care. We have a heart.” Why did the kid have to bite it then?
Here are some tweets about this ad. #BecauseIDied is also trending on Twitter.
Hi, I'm Rob Lowe and I have Direct TV. Hi, I'm Bathtub Drowning, Detergent Eating, Television Crushed Rob Lowe and I have #Nationwide.
— Crutnacker (@Crutnacker) February 2, 2015
@vanessaau It's nice to have insurance after your negligence for sure kills your kids. #nationwide
— Sasha Pasulka (@SashRocks) February 2, 2015
Oh, hey, nice kid you got there. Be an awful shame if something were to HAPPEN to him. Like an ACCIDENT. #Nationwide #AlsoTheMafia
— Lon Harris (@Lons) February 2, 2015
I was way too happy when I got home today so I watched that dead #Nationwide kid and now I'm back to my baseline depression.
— Dr. B (@bthemd) February 3, 2015
The #weightwatchers commercial reminded me not to shove my feelings from the #nationwide down with #nachos
— Ana Gasteyer (@AnaGasteyer) February 2, 2015
My reaction after the nationwide commercial: pic.twitter.com/1UDv45zmZB
— James C. Statton (@jamescstatton) February 2, 2015
Never, ever, EVER get in a position where you have to explain an ad you spent millions to make. http://t.co/8SUplSeSEW #Nationwide
— Anne B (@abroshar) February 3, 2015
My friends will have a great weekend #BecauseIDied @midnight pic.twitter.com/5xaNEvpeL7
— eliseable (@inviolablevoice) February 3, 2015
Avocados don't make any money from scaring you about your children dying, just another quick fun fact about avocados.
— Avocado (@RealAvocadoFact) February 2, 2015
Dear @Nationwide: Why didn't you secretly film people watching your dead kid commercial, "Red Wedding"-style? Missed opportunity.
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) February 2, 2015
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