Nationwide's 'Dark and Depressing' Super Bowl Commercial Apparently Not Winning Over the Masses

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.

Image source: YouTube

"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..."

Image source: YouTube

"And I won't ever get married..."

Image source: YouTube

And the reason?

"I couldn't grow up because I died from an accident."

Image source: YouTube

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: https://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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