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January 28, 2015

Superbowl Commercial Controversy Comes Early For Go Daddy

http://youtu.be/qI9wq2ZDoKM

Super Bowl commercials are almost as hotly anticipated as the game itself, but some are banned before game even starts. This year, Go Daddy announced it would be pulling its Super Bowl ad after viewers became outraged and it received hordes of negative feedback from animal advocates.

The ad titled “Journey Home” starts with a puppy named Buddy who falls out of the back of a truck. He then travels through harsh conditions before he makes his way home to a red barn. A woman is shown receiving him with open arms as she shouts, “Buddy! I’m so glad you made it home! Because I just sold you with this website I made on Go Daddy.” The next shot is of Buddy in a box and you hear her yell, “Ship him out!”

According to ftw.usatoday.com: “Many viewers harshly criticized Go Daddy for promoting irresponsible breeding practices and the sale of animals. A Change.org petition to remove the ad from the Super Bowl has nearly 40,000 signatures by Tuesday evening.”

Go Daddy announced the ad would not air during the Super Bowl and Go Daddy CEO Blake Irving also issued a statement acknowledging things didn’t go as planned: “At the end of the day, our purpose at Go Daddy 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.”

So, what happened to Buddy? Go Daddy stated via Twitter he’s been adopted by a longtime Go Daddy employee. The Super Bowl wouldn’t be the Super Bowl without a little controversy. From risqué commercials to the infamous Janet Jackson moment, there’s always something that will be a hot topic the following day.