A few weeks ago, GoDaddy announced that the company had engaged Deutsch, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, to create a new ad campaign for the company known for its provocative marketing. At the time of the announcement, CMO Barb Rechterman said, “We are teaming up with Deutsch because we think the team there ‘gets us’ and can help take Go Daddy to the next level.”
This afternoon, the first advertisement dubbed “Otter” was posted, and I have embedded it above. As you can see, it’s much different from the former “GoDaddy Girls” campaigns the company used during big events such as the Super Bowl, NASCAR races, and other events where the company advertised.
Yesterday evening, the New York Times published an article about the new campaign, “In New Ad, GoDaddy Upgrades Its Image.” When I first learned about the campaign, I assumed the GoDaddy Girls would still be included in the company’s marketing efforts, but that may not be so according to CEO Warren Adelman in the NYT article:
“The commercial “captures what we wanted to do really well,” said Warren Adelman, the new chief executive at GoDaddy, whose decision it was to end the era of what the founder, Bob Parsons, called “GoDaddy-esque” ads.
“We wanted to acknowledge our past,” Mr. Adelman said, and “not walk away from” it, but also begin to talk more about “products and services” and “who we are.”
Check out the first advertisement when you have a chance, and let me know what you think of it.
Someone must have locked up Bob’s guns; otherwise that cute otter would have been a pelt over his mantel.
I expected not to like ti but I did. Still feel public education should be #1 goal. No one knows what they do (can attest to that because I wear their shirt to dog park and get asked everyday) and when I try to explain it’s hard enough to explain what a domain us let alone why your website needs wires and looks like it’s the fuselage of an airplane.
I’d like to hear them say- “The most important assurance of success is business starts with your name. If the name you like is already taken, we can help you acquire it on the aftermarket, or find a suitable alternative. Don’t put your business Dead On Arrival settling for a poor name choice (show pan of the TechCrunch dead pool logos of invented coined brandy namers) go with the winners, memorable easy to spell and pronounce- well just like Go Daddy.com!”
Hmmm …
While I understand the role/reason for sexy Charlene; I’m not sure I get the point of the Otter – other than the ‘unsubtle’ sexual connotation.
Quick test: What GoDaddy product or service came to mind when you heard “…3 state senators (were forced) into early retirement” while watching Charlene stroke her beaver (err … otter)?
You otter know better than to question their objectives!