Hasta La Creative!

Ogilvy created the year’s most depressing Super Bowl ad with its “Make Safe Happen” spot for Nationwide.

The spot, which ran during the first half of the game, opens with narration by a young child. “I’ll never learn to ride a bike,” he says over a melancholic acoustic guitar track, and then continues to list all the things he’ll never do. “I couldn’t grow up, because I died from an accident,” he reveals at the end of the spot, followed by the message, “The number one cause of childhood deaths is preventable accidents.”

Unsurprisingly, people didn’t take the depressing message interrupting their football and cute animals very well. The social media backlash was quick and pronounced. So, what exactly was Nationwide thinking?

“Preventable injuries around the home are the leading cause of childhood deaths in America,” Nationwide  said in a statement released last night in response to the backlash. “Most people don’t know that…The sole purpose of this message was to start a conversation, not sell insurance. We want to build awareness of an issue that is near and dear to all of us—the safety and wellbeing of our children. We knew the ad would spur a variety of reactions.” Nationwide went on to claim that “thousands of people visited MakeSafeHappen.com, a new website to help educate parents and caregivers with information and resources in an effort to make their homes safer and avoid a potential injury or death.”

Still, given the negative publicity, we’d be pretty surprised if Nationwide considered the ad a resounding success.

For most viewers, Nationwide’s Super Bowl spot was likely the most depressing of the night, but St. Louis residents were treated to a regional spot that might just have it beat.

The 60-second PSA by the Missouri-based National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse features a clashing juxtaposition between a perky, bouyant song narrating a tale of drug abuse with ironic lyrics “That’s how … how you got addicted to heroin!”—and, well, a dramatic scene showing an addicted teen and his mother. It’s promoting Ncada’s program for families who suspect a loved one is battling addiction. 

“The stark contrast in tone between the upsetting images and the almost light-hearted music is an intentional choice that reflects the stark contrasts of these real-life situations” states the video’s YouTube summary. 

“In using the tools of drama to convey this crucial truth in a 60-second spot, we created a parallel disconnection between the visual story we see on screen and the musical story we hear. It is disturbing. It is jarring. It is painful to watch. And we must pay attention to it.”

Yes. It’s all those things. Jeez. 

As we round up the ads we hadn’t covered before they aired last night, here’s Wieden + Kennedy’s effort for Coca-Cola.

In essence, the :60 ad depicts a butterfly effect stemming from a spilled bottle, which serves as a catalyst for bringing positivity to a digital world filled with anger (not that we would know anything about that).

The spot, which made Coke one of the few brands to go positive last night, has earned some mixed reviews but hasn’t received anywhere near Nationwide levels of backlash.

In the meantime, check out the complementary Coca-Cola video starring Ryan Seacrest:

Credits when they come in.

Nationwide decided to use one of its two Super Bowl ad slots tonight to highlight the lethal potential of preventable child accidents. The result wasn’t exactly festive fare.

Here’s a pretty accurate cross-section of Twitter’s response, which you probably experienced first-hand when the ad came up during the game’s first half.

“We’re Nationwide Insurance! EVERYONE DIES. Enjoy the game! Nationwide.”

— Scott Hanselman (@shanselman) February 2, 2015

My 10 yo daughter: “I don’t think Nationwide is on my side”

— Nole Chick (@nolechick94) February 2, 2015

Nationwide: We’re not saying your kid is gonna die, but you better buy our insurance

— Matt Roller (@rolldiggity) February 2, 2015

“Look how amazing kids can be.” – Microsoft “Unless they die.” – Nationwide

— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) February 2, 2015

The second I see a kid in one of these commercials I immediately assume they’re going to die. Thanks, Nationwide! #SuperBowl

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) February 2, 2015

Nationwide says “Enjoy the Halftime Show!” pic.twitter.com/VGesJZBWlN

— Dan O’Donnell (@DanODradio) February 2, 2015

A parade. Children, laughing. Two teenagers on a first date. Sorry, but the world actually perished in a senseless nuclear war. Nationwide.

— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) February 2, 2015

Thanks to that Nationwide commercial this will be the last bath my little dude ever takes. pic.twitter.com/ivFpXXFRcN

— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) February 2, 2015

McDonald’s: Your payment is to call your mom and tell her you love her. Nationwide: Your mom is dead.

— Eli Langer (@EliLanger) February 2, 2015

No one in the Nationwide advertising meeting put up their hand and went, “Let’s sleep on this?”

— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) February 2, 2015

Brands will gather in their social-media war rooms tonight, still attempting to top Oreo’s lightning-in-a-bottle template for real-time Super Bowl marketing. But in a sense, they’ve already lost. That’s because whackadoodle snack brand Totino’s Pizza, already well known for its absurd antics, live-tweeted the Super Bowl last night.

At first, many thought it was an accident—that perhaps their tweets auto-published on the wrong day. But it soon became clear that it was a big joke. And behind all the terrible-on-purpose spelling errors and clichéd phrasing was a sophisticated, hilarious, snark-laden mockery of the entire process—showing us just how ridiculous and sometimes phoned-in “real-time” marketing can be.

If every brand and their mother can release their Super Bowl ads ahead of the game, why not fake-leak your (largely pre-planned) game tweets, too?

Take a look below at Totino’s rollicking (and at times super weird) take on the state of social media marketing—and how you can exploit the Super Bowl before it even happens.

Sitting down to watch #TheBigGame? We (Pizza Rolls) are as well. Tweet along with us because we’re #delicious #sparts

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) January 31, 2015

Golly, that sure is a greeeeeen field! #sparts #TheBigGame #footsball

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) January 31, 2015

Haha, neat! Sport events with irregularly shaped balls sure are #exciting and #exciteful! #sparts #TheBigGame

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) January 31, 2015

How CUTE are these refs, tho? #TheBigGame #sparts #stripes

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) January 31, 2015

Nothing more exciting than #livetweeting #thebiggame! Did you see that guy just now? I was like, WOW! #sparts

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) January 31, 2015

Did you see that coin toss?! WOW! This game’s already action-packed! #sportshappenings #sparts #fancy

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

Woah hey, haha! Who let a baby on the field?! Keep it together guys, you’re professional #football players! #TheBigGame #Sparts

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

OH MY GOSH did you hear that #football announcer accidentally say “Pom Grady?” it’s like HAHA that’s not his name! #TheBigGame #sparts

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

boy howdy, that commercial was funny and informational! Guess I’ve got some buyin’ to do! #commerce #america #TheBigGame #sparts #USA

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

My favorite colors I’ve seen in #TheBigGame so far: blue, green, red, magenta, orange, brown, darker brown. #football #sparts #colors

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

Aren’t live #sparts way more fun when we can #share the #memories together? #TheBigGame

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

I think my favorite thing about the #halftimeshow is that it does a real nice job of splitting #TheBigGame in half. #sparts

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

WOW you guys, I can’t imagine not being here #live for all this #sparts action! #magical #TheBigGame #football

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

don’t touch that dial, #sparts fans! I hear they’re gonna point the fireworks DOWN this year! #TheBigGame #football #boom #splosion

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

there is exactly as much touching of #butts as I was hoping there would be in #TheBigGame of #football that’s happening.

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

this game is so #super it makes me want to get a big #bowl of pizza rolls! haha! waiting for a commercial tho, #dontwannamissathing! #sparts

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

what #TheBigGame snax are you guys having? I’m trying lettuce and milk, just to see. #sparts #football #snackin

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

SPILLED MILK ON MY LAP brb guys let me know if I miss any awesome #football action in #TheBigGame! #sparts #crying

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

#sparts

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

#spaaaaaaaaaaaarts

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

the ceremonial meditation, wherein both teams honor the cosmic being that gave them form from chaotic #atoms in #space is my fave. #sparts

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

wow I can’t believe #TheBigGame is almost over! I’m literally crying so hard I can’t breathe, why must all good things die? #sparts #entropy

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

This is really bringing back bad memories of that time I missed the big field goal kick. Crying harder. #lacesout #sparts #TheBigGame

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

feel like I’ve got #sparts in the very heart of my soul, illuminating the #universe that is within me. Also, #tackles! #TheBigGame #Football

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

feeling #blessed to have live tweeted with America’s biggest #sparts fans tonight. Hope you have a happy #Monday tomorrow! #boo #lasagna

— Pete Zaroll (@totinos) February 1, 2015

Esurance teased its Super Bowl ad from Leo Burnett today, with “Behind the Scenes with Lindsay Lohan and Esurance.”

Lohan talks about return to Los Angeles for the gig, a lifetime of acting, her football fandom and why she’s happy to work with Esurance. There’s not much in the way of hints at what the final ad will hold, other than the fact that Lohan appears to be filming from the driver’s seat of a car (not exactly the safest place for a Lindsay Lohan). Watch for the ad’s premiere sometime during the big game Sunday.

Instead of enlisting celebrity endorsements, VB&P celebrates the everyday athlete in “Freak Show,” the launch of a new “Be More Human” campaign for Reebok.

“Are we weirdos? Can we be obsessive, fanatical, extreme?” asks voiceover at the beginning of the spot, over footage of suburbanites training hard. After acknowledging that some of those things may be true, the ad goes on to ask, “Why do we do it?” The answer, is self-improvement: “To be more human,” the ad concludes.

“By adopting such a lifestyle, you find yourself in a community of people joined together by a common purpose—to be better versions of themselves,”Reebok Brand President Matt O’Toole told Adweek. “We’re confident that when we push ourselves, we not only transform our bodies, we transform our entire lives.”

“Freak Show” will make its broadcast debut this Sunday during NBC’s Super Bowl pregame coverage. Its approach, while certainly not without precedent, should come as something of a reprieve from the barrage of celebrity-filled ads clogging up Super Bowl airtime. It also should appeal to the kind of CrossFit gurus Reebok has courted with recent campaigns, making “Be More Human” seem like a pretty natural evolution for the brand.

After a seemingly endless glut of Super Bowl ad teasers from various brands over the past week, McDonald’s is the latest to release its big game entry in full. As part of its 2015 effort to focus on togetherness, positivity and the like, the chain — with the help of Leo Burnett — is turning love into currency for a select group of customers from February 2nd through Valentine’s Day.

Despite this week’s CEO shakeup that saw former Euro chief Steve Easterbrook take over for 25-year vet Don Thompson, the fast-food giant sticks to its longstanding “I’m lovin’ it” tagline in this two-week campaign.

In a statement to ABC News, a McDonald’s spokeswoman explains the effort, saying:

“We want to thank our customers for making our day and hopefully they will make someone else’s as well – that’s what Lovin’ is all about. From selfies, hugs to high fives – we have a bunch of fun ways to express your Lovin.”

In other words, lovin’ does beat hatin’ after all.

If your country could have recruited its plants and animals like football talent in the Earth’s earliest days, what would you have picked? A sleepy sloth? A scrappy lemur? Some … wheat?

That’s the question posed in Sunday’s oddly amusing Super Bowl ad for Avocados From Mexico. Created by GSD&M, the spot features football greats Doug Flutie and Jerry Rice providing comentary for the “First Draft Ever.”

In the ad, a white-robed, bearded figure (is that two God cameos in one Super Bowl?) announces which creatures and species of vegetation will go to the world’s various countries. You can probably guess what Mexico picks, but here’s how it all goes down: 

Aimed at getting more Americans snacking on guacamole, the ad is reportedly the first for a fresh produce brand. Watch for it near the end of the first quarter.

After a year away, Skechers will return to the Super Bowl on Sunday with a 15-second spot starring Pete Rose, who good-naturedly pokes fun at his continuing exclusion from baseball’s Hall of Fame—with help from fiancée Kiana Kim.

See the ad, which promotes the brand’s Relaxed Fit footwear, below.

“Pete isn’t just a baseball legend, he’s an American icon—and there’s no better place for an American icon than the Super Bowl,” Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers, said in a statement. “Besides, what better place is there for Pete to state his case for the Hall? Maybe the hundred million plus people watching will turn the tide.”

“I am thrilled that people around the world will get to see me walk a hall—even though it may not be THE Hall!” added Rose, 73. “I can’t say the Super Bowl was on my bucket list, but I’m certainly glad to be there.”

This is the footwear company’s fifth appearance in the game, after four straight from 2010 to 2013, and a break in 2014. Its 2010 spot starred Joe Montana, followed by Kim Kardashian in 2011 (who’s back this year with T-Mobile). The brand went with animals the following two years—a pug in 2012 and a cheetah in 2013.