I saw Nationwide’s dead child Super Bowl commercial. And so did you. My jaw dropped. In fact, so much so that two tortilla chips fell out of my mouth. The ad, of course, evoked a lot of negative reaction. A Wall Street Journal story cited to a source that concluded that 64% of the social media conversations about it were negative. I’m surprised it was that low.

Next up – State Farm’s Super Bowl commercial showing a Hatfield and McCoy-looking feud. And as the camera pans over the dead bodies strewn on the ground an announcer’s voice-over says – This is why you need a good neighbor.

Nationwide was in a Catch-22. The ad – designed to promote the prevention of household accidents, by using, as the narrator, a young boy telling of the things that he won’t get to do in life, because he died in a household accident -- was out of place for the Super Bowl. Those commercials are, of course, usually light-fare and watched by many in a social atmosphere. The only thing dead at a Super Bowl party should be the chicken’s wings. But, on the other hand, the issue is serious. As Nationwide’s Chief Marketing Officer said: “If we made it tamer and we had shown it not in the Super Bowl and two weeks from now, no one would have noticed.”

My take – Nationwide was right to do what it did. It achieved its objective. It got people talking (about something other than Seattle’s play call at the end). But here’s the real reason why I come out in favor of Nationwide. Nationwide’s CMO said that the intention of the 45-second spot was not to sell insurance. Now, when an insurance company spends a gazillion dollars on an ad, and says that its intention is not to sell insurance, it is reasonable to be dubious. But I believe Nationwide. After all, since a homeowner’s policy is unlikely to provide liability coverage for a child killed in a household accident – even if on account of the fault of someone else living in the house – there is nothing being sold. [Expect to see a policy exclusion for bodily injury to an insured and the child is an insured.] And since no coverage is owed, Nationwide also can’t be accused of having claim prevention, which benefits its bottom line, as its real motive.

So, since Nationwide spent all that dough on a commercial, with no direct link to one of its products – other than enhancing its recognition as a company generally engaged in the business of risk – I give it a pass. Too bad Seattle did that too.