Allstate, the corporate sponsor of the sugar bowl, social media appeared to delete a video message from CEO Tom Wilson after his comments following the Bourbon Street terrorist attack sparked a huge backlash online.
In the message played to fans prior to the kickoff of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal between Georgia and Our Lady, Wilson argued that Americans must overcome an “addiction to division” and instead “accept people’s imperfections and differences.”
Tom Wilson, chairman and CEO of Allstate Corp., listens during the CEO Initiative event in New York City on Monday, September 25, 2017. (Misha Friedman/Bloomberg)
“On Wednesday, tragedy struck the New Orleans community. Our prayers are with the victims and their families. We must also stand stronger together by overcoming an addiction to division and negativity,” Wilson said in the video.
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“Join Allstate and work in local communities across America to amplify the positive, increase trust, and accept people’s imperfections and differences. Together we win.”
The video was poorly received online, with many Allstate customers threatening to boycott the company over its “tone deaf” messages.
A general view of the field before the game between Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Georgia Bulldogs at the Caesars Superdome. (Stephen Lew-Imagn images)
The video went viral on social media and was even shared by Allstate’s own social media team on X. However, OutKick’s Zach Dean reported on Friday that the post has since been deleted.
SUGAR BOWL’S CORPORATE SPONSOR CEO SLAMMED FOR STATING ‘ADDICT TO DISTRIBUTION’ AFTER TERROR ATTACK
At least 15 innocent people were tragically killed and dozens of others injured in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day when 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US Army veteran, plowed through a crowd of people on Bourbon Street with a knife . pickup with an ISIS flag on the back.
The FBI who investigated the attack labeled it a act of terror, and found a number of potential improvised explosive devices. Jabbar was pronounced dead at the scene after exchanging gunfire with local police.
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In response to the backlash on social media, Allstate issued a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday condemning “violence in all forms.”
Police investigate a crime scene on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. A driver drove into the crowd of New Year’s revelers and began firing a weapon in the early morning hours. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
“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 New Orleans community. The reference to overcoming division and negativity reflects a broader commitment to promoting trust and positivity in communities across the country,” the statement said.
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