After an outcry from animal rescue activists, GoDaddy.com, a
privately held internet domain registrar and web hosting company, decided
Tuesday night to pull its planned Super Bowl commercial which features puppies
and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick.
The company sponsors Patrick's No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series.
The ad, which debuted Tuesday on the "Today" show, is entitled "Lost Dog" and shows a puppy that falls out of a truck and then eventually finds its way back home. Upon arrival the puppy discovers its owner used GoDaddy to set up a Web site to sell the dog to a new owner. Patrick drives the van which carries the puppy to its new owner.
The company released the following statement on Tuesday night:
"This morning we previewed GoDaddy’s Super Bowl spot on a popular talk show, and shortly after a controversy started to swirl about 'Buddy,' our puppy, being sold online. The responses were emotional and direct. Many people urged us not to run the ad.
"We’ve made a tremendous amount of progress over the past two years, advancing the GoDaddy brand as a company that cares a great deal about small business and is in their corner to help them succeed. People increasingly know who we are, what we do and who we do it for. At the end of the day, our purpose at GoDaddy is to help small businesses around the world build a successful online presence. We hoped our ad would increase awareness of that cause. However, we underestimated the emotional response. And we heard that loud and clear.
"The net result? We are pulling the ad from the Super Bowl. You’ll still see us in the Big Game this year, and we hope it makes you laugh. Finally, rest assured, Buddy came to us from a reputable and loving breeder in California. He’s now part of the GoDaddy family as our Chief Companion Officer and he lives permanently with one of our longtime employees."
The original ad has since been removed from YouTube.
A petition started on Change.org asking GoDaddy to pull the ad received over 42,000 signatures before the company made its decision Tuesday night.
The company sponsors Patrick's No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series.
The ad, which debuted Tuesday on the "Today" show, is entitled "Lost Dog" and shows a puppy that falls out of a truck and then eventually finds its way back home. Upon arrival the puppy discovers its owner used GoDaddy to set up a Web site to sell the dog to a new owner. Patrick drives the van which carries the puppy to its new owner.
The company released the following statement on Tuesday night:
"This morning we previewed GoDaddy’s Super Bowl spot on a popular talk show, and shortly after a controversy started to swirl about 'Buddy,' our puppy, being sold online. The responses were emotional and direct. Many people urged us not to run the ad.
"We’ve made a tremendous amount of progress over the past two years, advancing the GoDaddy brand as a company that cares a great deal about small business and is in their corner to help them succeed. People increasingly know who we are, what we do and who we do it for. At the end of the day, our purpose at GoDaddy is to help small businesses around the world build a successful online presence. We hoped our ad would increase awareness of that cause. However, we underestimated the emotional response. And we heard that loud and clear.
"The net result? We are pulling the ad from the Super Bowl. You’ll still see us in the Big Game this year, and we hope it makes you laugh. Finally, rest assured, Buddy came to us from a reputable and loving breeder in California. He’s now part of the GoDaddy family as our Chief Companion Officer and he lives permanently with one of our longtime employees."
The original ad has since been removed from YouTube.
A petition started on Change.org asking GoDaddy to pull the ad received over 42,000 signatures before the company made its decision Tuesday night.
