Even amid a Super Bowl night when serious subject matter ruled, Nationwide's ad promoting awareness of potentially fatal child accidents stood out. Using a classic bait-and-switch style that had as its punch line the death of a child, the Nationwide ad drew immediate criticism, with many questioning both the subject matter and the decision to use such a serious matter as fodder for an advertisement.
Late Sunday night, Nationwide issued a formal statement:
"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."
The ad did indeed begin a dialogue, though perhaps not what Nationwide intended. It ranked near the bottom of USA Today's Ad Meter, and drew heavy negative criticism on social media. However, given the fact that the Super Bowl achieved the highest rating of any Super Bowl, and could be on track for the most viewers ever, the ad certainly achieved its intended goals of "awareness."
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.
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from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1zwOAXy
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