La Salle Professor: Nationwide's Depressing Super Bowl Commercial Will Make People Not Give Them A Second Look
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Super Bowl XLIX had the highest TV ratings of any Super Bowl with a 49.7 in the late loss of the Seattle Seahawks to the New England Patriots 28-24. However, for years the game itself has not been the only reason why people tune in. The commercials, which cost an estimated $4 million for a 60 second spot this year, have been a highly anticipated part of the day for many years.
Dr. Richard Goedkoop, from the La Salle University Communications Department, talked with WPHT morning host Chris Stigall about the criticism that many have taken against the "heavy handed and depressing" tone that was set by several of the spots, including the Nationwide Insurance commercial in which a young boy talks about all of the things he will not be able to do because he was killed in a car accident.
"It was meant to start a conversation and not sell insurance. I have a feeling that the conversation is going to be stopping right after that commercial…It grew such heavy criticism that I think that a lot of people are not going to give them a second look…I think that it's pretty unusual for company to make comments about it while the Super Bowl was still going on."
Even though the response to the strongly negative response to the ad will have lasting effects on the car insurance company, Goedkoop does not think the same will be true for some of the others that have been criticized.
"Well, one of the things that ads are supposed to be doing is catching people's attention, and sometimes the negativity will do that. Since we are talking about it, maybe the negativity will also sell depending on what the product is."
While he feels that Nationwide was the biggest offender of failing to invoke a positive response from viewers, Goedkoop had a glowing review of the "Like a Girl" ad from Always where young boys and girls were asked what they felt it looked like to throw, fight and run like a girl.
"It was very honest, very simple. I think that it stood out from a lot of the other heavily produced commercials, and when kids are speaking honestly, you have to relate to that."
