Nationwide Super Bowl commercial depresses everyone

Nationwide Insurance must have used up all its funny bones while making its Mindy Kaling commercial because its second ad will be considered the most depressing Super Bowl commercial ever. It left everyone stunned, especially on Twitter.

The 30second spot featured a young boy listing off things he will never experience, like learning how to fly or travel the world with his beloved dog. Why will he never do any of those things? Because he’s dead.

It created such a stir that Nationwide later defended itself, sending a statement to NBC News, noting that it worked. The company said that thousands of people visited its Make Safe Happen site.

“Preventable injuries around the home are the leading cause of childhood deaths in America,” Nationwide’s statement read. “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.”

Here’s a few of the Twitter responses to the commercial:


image via Twitter from John Daley


image via Twitter from Brett Edgerton

screenshot via Nationwide YouTube video

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