Insurance companies like to tug at your heartstrings to sell you their product nearly as much as they like making up mascots. It doesn’t always go well, but damned if I didn’t tear up at this ad in which Kevin Durant and J.J. Watt surprise people by cheering them on in their everyday lives.
It’s a simple concept, and probably familiar ground, but damned if it isn’t affecting when Watt and/or KD immediately bring any adult they see to tears simply by acknowledging their accomplishments. It’s a powerful thing to see a larger-than-life figure celebrating your decidedly life-size dreams, especially when it comes out of nowhere (though, as with all commercials, take the surprise factor with a grain of salt).
My personal favorite is the final moment, when Watt surprises a guy training for a marathon. The young man seems like he bursts into tears, but he doesn’t stop running, which has to be the only time I’ve ever heard of someone crying and running at the same time, but with happy tears. Most cry-runs happen when you’re fleeing the scene of a horribly embarrassing moment of some sort. Also, a special shout-out to nurse and mom Tiana. That’s an especially hard job to juggle with a kid, and nurses need more appreciation in general.
