The Super Bowl seems to bring a new set of ?controversies each year.
If not controversies, then plenty of discussion material. Usually, it’s in the form of the halftime show being underwhelming or ridiculous or an unfair call from the ?referees. But this year, I find Nationwide’s commercial to be one of most interesting topics for conversation.
For those who have not yet been thoroughly depressed by the commercial, let me set the scene. The commercial opens to a shot of an adorable kid on an oversized tricycle trying to catch up with several older kids offscreen.
Also, I can’t forget to mention the archetypical black Labrador retriever following close by.
The commercial then goes on to show the kid in various situations — on the bus, flying with an exoskeleton glider and sailing — while he narrates in a voiceover about how he is not going to be able to do any of these things. Because, surprise! He reveals, completely deadpan, he can’t because he died in a preventable accident.
The commercial then depicts a bathtub overflowing, ripped packages of detergent and a flat screen television broken on the floor.
Now I don’t want to pass judgment on whether or not Nationwide should have aired the commercial. It seems most people complaining about it are essentially claiming it is too heavy and depressing for an ?advertisement.
This implies commercials should be entertaining and palatable, dedicated only to profit, a view which is also criticized for being greedy, commercial, of course, and profit-driven. Nationwide can’t really win.
I do think the underlying message of the commercial is incredibly interesting, however. By producing the commercial, Nationwide is implying, and nearly outwardly stating, that the company is there to protect your children.
But an insurance company doesn’t protect your kids.
It just makes sure you get a significant sum of ?money if your kid dies. If anything, it stands at a disturbing, contentious relationship with its announced goal. Nationwide is doing ?something in pursuit of limiting preventable deaths, ?however.
The company created a website at ?www.makesafehappen.com, which essentially amounts to a compilation of safety brochures conveniently gathered on a website.
We know brochures are definitely effective in ?preventing deaths.
That said, it seems ?misleading for Nationwide to suggest it’s doing something, which it implied is significant, to prevent accidental deaths. Especially because what it is doing is so hands-off and essentially reliant on the consumer to gain anything ?significant from it.
In that light, the ?commercial seems gimmicky, designed to shock, for ?nothing more than ?associating Nationwide with child safety.
allenjo@indiana.edu
