Nationwide Defends the Super Bowl Commercial That Bummed Out America

Wanted to 'start a conversation' about preventable accidents

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Nationwide’s morbid ad narrated by a dead child generated enormous and immediate backlash during the Big Game, so much so that the company issued a statement explaining why it wanted to air the depressing spot.

“Preventable injuries around the home are the leading cause of childhood deaths in America,” the company said in a statement. “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

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