GoDaddy has pulled its Super Bowl ad after viewers were upset about how it depicted a lost puppy. The ad, a riff on Budweiser’s spot this year, featured a little dog who falls off a pickup truck and then endures long miles and rainy weather to make his way home. Once there, running up the dirt road to a big red barn, he jumps up to greet his owner. “Look! It’s Buddy! I’m so glad you made it home,” she says as he jumps into her arms and licks her face, “because I just sold you on this website I built with GoDaddy.” Cut to the puppy back in a van. “Ship ’em out!” says the woman. The puppy whimpers. We catch a glimpse that longtime spokeswoman Danica Patrick is the driver. Then the door slams. The ad drew negative reactions immediately after it aired exclusively on TODAY. The domain name registration company attempted to mollify the crowd via Twitter, but pressure continued to mount throughout the day as the story spread online, especially through dog lover groups. An online petition to remove the ad racked up over 42,000 signatures by day’s end. Finally at the end of the day the company decided to pull the ad.(Today)(1-29-2015)
