Nationwide Insurance put on an awfully sad Super Bowl commercial Sunday. The company's ad featured a little boy explaining all of the things he missed in life because he was killed in an accident.

"I'll never learn to ride a bike, or get cooties," a sad boy says. "I'll never learn to fly or travel the world with my best friend."

The sad ad then makes its depressing point.

"I couldn't grow up because I died from an accident," the boy says.

Nationwide's goal in the ad was to get people talking about childhood safety. That's why in the ad they display the statistic of the No. 1 cause of childhood deaths: preventable accidents.

Behind the stat displayed on the commercial is an overfilled bathtub with some toys, suggesting a childhood drowning.

The female narrator then says: "at Nationwide, we believe in protecting what matters most -- your kids." While she says this, a cupboard of chemicals is displayed, suggesting an accidental childhood poisoning.

Then a mother carrying a child is shown, and the commercial ends.

Viewers displayed their frustration and shock at the ad on Twitter. Many were angry that it was shown.

Nationwide, however, defended the decision in a statement on its website.

"Preventable injuries around the home are the leading cause of childhood deaths in America," Nationwide said. "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."

While the ad did not have the intention of selling insurance to customers, according to Nationwide, it sure was not your typical funny Super Bowl ad.

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