GoDaddy, a domain registry company, has become a staple in Super Bowl ads for the past couple of years. However, the latest GoDaddy Super Bowl commercial has received severe backlash from viewers, causing GoDaddy to ultimately pull its 30-second commercial spot.
In the latest GoDaddy Super Bowl ad, a young golden retriever pup falls out of the truck bed of a red pickup. The brave little guy goes through a treacherous journey to return to his owner.
"I'm so glad you made it home!" said the relieved owner. "Because I just sold you on this website I made with GoDaddy. Ship him out!"
Whoa, plot twist. This endearing puppy commercial got dark really fast! The puppy gets dropped into a car driven by NASCAR star and GODaddy spokesperson Danica Patrick.
Animal lovers were upset at GoDaddy's heartless portrayal of puppy mills, which have often received accusations of animal mistreatment. Animal rights advocate Helena Yurcho even launched a Change.org petition to get the ad taken down.
"Whether or not this was meant to be satirical, it's offensive," she wrote, noting the ad pokes fun at popular dog-themed Super Bowl spots. "Essentially, Go Daddy is encouraging private breeding/puppy mills while shelter animals wait patiently for their forever homes or worse — to be euthanized."
GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving confirmed that the company has taken down the ad in response to the backlash. "We're listening, message received.”
"However, we underestimated the emotional response," he wrote. "And we heard that loud and clear."
That said, GoDaddy is still keeping its $4.5 million 30-second ad spot and will air a different commercial during the Sunday game.
Watch the controversial GoDaddy commercial below. Also, see five other banned Super Bowl commercials that stirred tremendous controversy.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
