It was the worst commercial not just of last night’s game but of all all time. There have been tasteless commercials in the Super Bowl before, but this one is apt to be looked back on for years to come as MHC (Most Hated Commercial).
Even as the game unfolded, Twitter lit up with comments about the “dead kid” Nationwide insurance ad. Before you blame the advertising agency — and by all means have at it: Some lunatic at Ogilvy & Mather dreamed up this nightmare — remember that Nationwide approved it.
If you missed it, consider yourself lucky. With that proviso, should you still wish to view it, here you go:
Nationwide has released a statement about 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. 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.
And Adam Tucker President of O&M New York tweeted:
Truly proud of our #client @Nationwide and my team @Ogilvy for #makesafehappen. The most brave and the most important film of #SuperBowlAds
— Adam Tucker (@Adman_Tucker) February 2, 2015
One thing I learned after spending 30 years in advertising is, if you have to defend your commercial after it runs, it would probably have been better off not to have run it at all.
Cross-posted at The Lid
