If you watched the Super Bowl last night, you probably had a WTF moment with the rest of the country, when what looked to be a coming-of-age ad about a boy and his experiences turned into the biggest buzz kill of all time.<\/p>\n
Let’s watch:<\/p>\n
[youtube=https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TRVslkan08U]<\/p>\n
How sad. That little kid could’ve done all that stuff, but now he can’t because he’s DEAD. He’ll never learn to ride a bike, or be grossed out by girls, or invent some flying machine, or get lost at sea in the bathtub with his dog. Because he’s dead. Because you left him unattended in the tub, didn’t properly secure your TV or lock your poisonous cleaning agents away.<\/p>\n
Parents and other people with eyes and judgment are pissed because they think the commercial was in bad taste. The commercial even inspired a hashtag, #NationwideKills:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nationwide is on your side….. #SB49<\/a> #Seahawks<\/a> #NationwideKills<\/a> #nationwide<\/a> #nationawidecommercial<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/qkONPXOf6Q<\/a><\/p>\n\u201d\u201d GO SPURS GO MEMES (@GoSpursGoMemes) February 2, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n
He would have retweeted it but he died. #NationwideKills<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/MAmRQntRGX<\/a><\/p>\n\u201d\u201d Jay Latimer (@Jay_Latimer) February 2, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThere are many more where that came from. Is poking fun at a tasteless commercial, tasteless? I obviously don’t think so.<\/p>\n
Nationwide released a statement trying to do some damage control. From NBC News<\/a><\/em>:<\/p>\nPreventable 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\u00a0MakeSafeHappen.com<\/a>, 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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n