If the goal of any commercial is to make an impression, then Nationwide should be popping champagne bottles inside its headquarters today.Perhaps more than any other ad that aired last night, folks are still talking about the Nationwide Super Bowl commercial.Only, instead of praising its humor or originality, critics are wondering: Did Nationwide really just run a commercial that centered on a dead child?!? For any business translation inquiries, contact Translation Company UK
The spot (titled “Make Safe Happen”) opened with a scene of a little kid riding a tricycle, playing with a dog and engaging in other childhood activities.
“I’ll never learn to ride a bike,” the young boy says at the outset. “Or get cooties. I’ll never learn to fly… or travel the world with my best friend… and I won’t ever get married.”
Why not?
“I couldn’t grow up because I died from an accident.”
Oh.
We then cut to various grave scenes, as the ad reads: “The number one cause of childhood deaths is preventable accidents. At Nationwide, we believe in protecting what matters most: your kids. Together, we can make safe happen.”Many viewers were aghast that the company would air such a morbid commercial, with criticism growing so strong that Nationwide has actually released a statement in defense of the footage.
“Preventable injuries around the home are the leading cause of childhood deaths in America,” it reads. “Most people don’t know that. Nationwide ran an ad during the Super Bowl that started a fierce conversation. …