A Nationwide commercial for the 2015 Super Bowl was called "dark and depressing" and drew a ton of negative online reaction Sunday night.
The spot started off in a whimsical way, with a boy riding his three-wheeler: "I'll never learn to ride a bike," he said.
"Or get cooties," he added as a girl leaned down to kiss him on the cheek on a bus.
"I'll never learn to fly..."
"Or travel the world with my best friend..."
"And I won't ever get married..."
And the reason?
"I couldn't grow up because I died from an accident."
Ugh.
The commercial cut to shots of household accidents: an overflowed tub, a raided cabinet under a kitchen sink and a huge TV that had crashed to the floor.
The narrator concluded: "At Nationwide we believe in what matters most — protecting your kids. Together we can make 'safe' happen."
Super Bowl viewers far and wide gave the clip a big thumbs-down:
Twitter was not happy about the Nationwide's dark and depressing #SuperBowl ad: http://t.co/oHVXKXGXt4
— E! Online (@eonline) February 2, 2015
That @Nationwide superbowl commercial with the dead kid is my vote for the grimmest commercial in a long time.
— Karl Hering (@KarelHering) February 2, 2015
Thanks @Nationwide for the most depressing #SuperBowl commercial ever.
— Mike Olbinski (@MikeOlbinski) February 2, 2015
Way to go @Nationwide for the most amazing super bowl commercial ever. I'm kidding. #IDied
— Carlos Magno (@magnomelongtime) February 2, 2015
Dear @Nationwide. Thank you for the death commercial. #SuperBowl
— Adam Allington (@aallington) February 2, 2015
Here it is:
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