The ads awaiting to be aired at the 2015 Super Bowl are already experiencing some drama.
GoDaddy has reportedly pulled its Super Bowl ad after viewers got upset about a lost puppy’s sad journey back to its owner, according to CNBC.
The ad, which we’re assuming was meant to be humorous, features a puppy who falls off a pickup truck and then has to endure a long, rainy journey back home, only to find that his owner has sold him off.
The ad was initially aired exclusively on TODAY and was soon followed with negative reactions. A Change.org petition to remove the ad reportedly gathered over 42,000 signatures by the end of the day.
“Poking fun at a puppy mill is not a laughable matter,” wrote Mick Magnuson.
He added, “And I hope they got bombarded with calls and emails letting them know how disgusting the commercial is.”
GoDaddy’s CEO Blake Irving reportedly released a statement, informing Super Bowl fans that they’d be pulling the ad.
“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,” the statement read.
It continued, “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's been adopted permanently by one of our longtime employees."
While GoDaddy has dealt with drama before the 2015 Super Bowl, Sprint may have to deal with the wrath of their competitors after their ad is aired.
Sprint’s ad reportedly takes aim at its rivals by attempting to win over AT&T and Verizon customers by offering to cut their wireless rate plans in half, according to the website Kansascity.com.
Sprint’s Super Bowl ad is reportedly set to air in the third quarter in the game.