This commercial is gross.
In United Healthcare’s latest PSA against pinkeye/conjunctivitis, they tell the story of a young boy, who’s in love with his classmate Maria. He writes her name on the bottom of his shoe and in his notebook, and is all to excited when his teacher tells him he’s going to be partnering with her for a science project. Armed with a smile, he walks over to her, and when she glances back, he notices she’s got pink eye. It cuts to a shot of the boy and his family all having pinkeye. And frankly, it’s a bit unsettling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntZ7yNdOWPE
I have no qualms against the ad for doing a spot on the disease, which does effect young kids and spreads like wildfire at schools, but I do take issue with the song used. Yes, that’s Sam Cooke’s classic “Don’t know much about history,” playing in the background. I guess the songs lyrics are applicable in the sense “don’t know much biology,” would be a reference to kids and families not knowing anything about the virus, but the use of thes song makes me feel like this.
So while the intent is good, the commercial is sad and gross. I guess it’s hard to make a spot illustrating the effects of pinkeye without making it disgusting, but they didn’t have to drag Sam Cooke down with them.
