Companies can win big with the right advertising message – but one insurer fumbled badly with its commercial.
The Seattle Seahawks lost the Super Bowl on an interception just when they were poised to score a touchdown and win the game; but Nationwide Insurance completely dropped the ball when they decided to air this sadly creepy commercial.
Amid the buzz and excitement of one of football’s biggest nights and hottest advertising opportunities, Nationwide sent out this sombre message on childhood mortality.
“I’ll never learn to ride a bike,” says the dejected young boy of the commercial. “I’ll never learn to fly, or travel the world with my best friend.”
The boy continues to list his non-accomplishments, building up to this statement:
“I couldn’t grow up, because I died from an accident.”
The American insurance company decided to remind everyone that preventable accidents are the number one cause of childhood deaths – during the Super Bowl, with the message: “Together, we can make safe happen.”
Judge for yourself, then read some of the Tweets of those who saw the commercial:
Chris Gore:
Well that was an awesome Super Bowl that narrowly avoided being ruined by that Nationwide dead kid commercial. #superbowlcommercials
Jeremy Hubbard:
As bad as that play call was... still not quite as bad as that @Nationwide commercial. #SuberbowlXLIX
