Allstate deleted its recent social media post featuring CEO Tom Wilson after it sparked significant controversy.
The video, shown before a major college football game, faced backlash due to comments Wilson made following a terrorist attack, Breitbart reported.
The Sugar Bowl, a prominent college football event, featured an anticipated matchup between Notre Dame and Georgia. Allstate, a well-known insurance company, sponsored the event.
Before the game commenced, Allstate's CEO, Tom Wilson, addressed the viewers with a video statement. This appearance served not only as a sporting prelude but also as a response to recent national tragedies.
Wilson made his remarks shortly after a terror attack that occurred early Wednesday morning, where the assailant, identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, used a truck to drive into a crowd. He later engaged in a shootout with police, resulting in several casualties and injuries, including harm to two officers.
During the attack, the assailant killed at least 14 people, and law enforcement terminated him in a firefight. Authorities discovered an ISIS flag attached to Jabbar’s vehicle, adding a layer of complexity to the tragic event.
In his statement, Wilson emphasized the theme of unity and the necessity of overcoming divisiveness within the community. He referenced the recent terror strike, focusing on the collective response required to foster positivity and trust across the nation.
"Our prayers went to victims and their families. We also need to be stronger together by overcoming an addiction to divisiveness and negativity. Join Allstate working in local communities all across America to amplify the positive, increase trust, and accept people’s imperfections and differences. Together we win," Wilson stated.
However, the responses to Wilson’s message on social media were overwhelmingly negative. Following the broadcast, viewers expressed their dissatisfaction and shock, with some calling his comments tone-deaf given the circumstances of a recent terrorist act.
These reactions included threats of boycotts against Allstate, as subscribers and the general public expressed their discontent with the perceived insensitivity of Wilson's remarks.
The backlash was immediate and intense, leading to a stream of critical comments and calls for a more appropriate response from the company to the terrorist attack.
In reaction to the severe criticism, Allstate issued a clarifying statement to address the misconceptions and explain the intent behind Wilson's comments more clearly.
Allstate’s follow-up statement, issued to Fox News Digital, emphasized that the company, along with its CEO Tom Wilson, unequivocally condemns the terrorist attack. “To be clear, Allstate CEO Tom Wilson unequivocally condemns this heinous act of terrorism and violence in all forms. We stand with the families of the victims, their loved ones, and the community of New Orleans," the statement read.
According to the company, Wilson aimed to deliver a broader call to reduce negativity and divisiveness in America, a point that perhaps got lost amidst the timing and phrasing of his initial speech.
