GoDaddy Launches Global Review

Web hosting company GoDaddy, which Kantar Media claims spends around $24.7 million on measured media in the U.S., has launched a review in search of a global brand agency partner. It is unclear if incumbent Barton F. Graf 9000 will participate in the review and Phil Bienert, GoDaddy’s chief marketing officer, told AdAge, “We are still finalizing the list.”

The review comes roughly four months after GoDaddy decided to pull a controversial Super Bowl spot following online backlash. While some questioned whether the stunt was planned, the company insisted the response was completely unexpected. GoDaddy, of course, built its brand on outlandish Super Bowl ads, which were universally loathed enough to merit a “Dear GoDaddy, Please Stop” op-ed from Woods Witt Dealy & Sons partner/creative director Harry Woods in 2013. Last month, GoDaddy chose not to renew its sponsorship of Danica Patrick, who starred in many of the company’s Super Bowl spots, another sign that the GoDaddy is changing its marketing approach. Barton F. Graf 9000’s most recent ads for the brand featured Jon Lovitz taking a CGI beating.

“We felt the time was right for us to be looking for a global agency partner to take our brand global,” Bienert told AdAge. “The criteria are that agencies have global scale, that they have a presence doing brand advertising in multiple markets — not just in North America but in Asia Pacific, Latin America and Europe – and that they understand our brand and our mission.” He added, “We’re ready to push beyond simple brand campaigns that revolve around a 30-second TV commercial and leverage our distinctive small-business data platform as a key ingredient in our brand marketing.”

Coca-Cola Teases ‘Make it Happy’ Big Game Ad from W+K

Coca-Cola has released a series of teasers for its “Make It Happy” Super Bowl ad from Wieden + Kennedy which manage to keep the spot a bit of a mystery.

In the 30-second “Reactions” (featured above) for example, people are showed reacting to the ad with what we assume is meant to be a kind of surprised awe, ending with the line “The Internet May Never Be The Same.” The other two trailers, coupled with the #MakeItHappy hashtag and a rather cryptic press release make it clear that the brand’s big game ad will address “online negativity” (we have no idea what they could be referring to by this term) and position Coca-Cola as an opposing force to “Make It Happy.”

The brand will run its 60-second ad during the first quarter of the Super Bowl. Leading up to its unveiling, the brand will release four online vignettes featuring “personal stories of online negativity from teens and adults who have experienced it up close.” The first of these, focusing on Kid President, has already been uploaded to the brand’s YouTube page with Danica Patrick and Michael Sam set to appear as well. We’re also told the teaser clips, which will begin broadcasting today, offer glimpses of material that will appear in the final ad.

“We’re all surrounded by stories of online negativity, and it’s a concern that only continues to grow within society,” said Andy McMillin, VP and GM,Coca-Cola Trademark Brands, in a statement. “We hope this campaign inspires people across the country and around the world to show more positivity in their online actions, and to stop and think before posting a negative comment.”

Danica Patrick Gets Mega-Buff for GoDaddy’s Super Bowl Ad

GoDaddy may say it has "matured" as a Super Bowl advertiser, but for now it appears to be spokeswoman Danica Patrick who has actually grown. 

Sporting a rather lifelike muscle suit, Patrick was spotted by photographers filming her upcoming game day commercial for GoDaddy, which has featured the high-profile driver in its Super Bowl ads since 2007. 

You can check out the sneak peek video below (apologies for the mandatory pre-roll), along with a photo gallery on the Daily Mail's site.


    

ESPN Reminds Viewers that Things ‘Happened’ in ESPYs Promos

The ESPYS are supposed to throw a nudge and a wink in the direction of typical award shows that take themselves too seriously. Athletes get all dolled up in dresses and suits, the host runs through some comedic skits, and the sporting world congratulates itself on the red carpet, all of which has appeal to the average viewer, because the sports world is usually unglamorous for the other 364 days of the year.

For the 2013 ESPYS, ESPN seems to have taken that care-free attitude to a whole new level, a level that borders on creative laziness. Amazing athletes and sporting events “happened.” For example, Robert Griffin III tells us that Gabby Douglas “happened,” and Lebron James “happened, with authority.” ESPN worked with creative agency 77 Ventures to produce a dozen or so spots in advance of the July 17 show that covers just about every positive sports story from the previous year. They all happened. Which makes you want to hit your head and let out a rhetorical, “duh?” ESPN wasted the chance to use its biggest stars like RGIII, Derek Jeter, Danica Patrick, and Ray Lewis to sell great games and plays. We know they happened. These inspiring sports stories can pretty much sell themselves, but this “Happened” campaign pushes the limit of less is more. For once, less is less. Less happened.

You can watch three more promos after the jump.

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GoDaddy Finally Moves Away from Douchebag Ads with ‘TMI’

About a year ago, GoDaddy hired Deutsch New York as their creative agency, and the world wondered whether we’d see the end of the “GoDaddy Girls” gimmick, or even the beginning of a more nuanced campaign. Instead, during this year’s Super Bowl, GoDaddy offered us Bar Rafaeli (“sexy”) making out with a red-faced man named Walter (“smart”). Danica Patrick narrated and did her best not to look embarrassed. Our op-ed contributor at the time, WWD&S co-head Harry Woods, may have captured the most accurate reaction: “The whole ugly thing once again sent us reaching for a wing bone, nacho or beer bottle cap to dig our eyes out.”

Thankfully no eyeball gouging is necessary with GoDaddy’s latest spot. In it, a Ron Weasley-esque man is introduced to the GoDaddy team. His name and its closest iterations are already taken by his colleagues, so the team tosses around other possibilities. Anyone who’s thought about buying a domain name is familiar with this brainstorming process, and Deutsch did well personifying it. The whole thing is off-kilter and amusing, and finally we see Danica Patrick in racing gear, not heels. She’s still hot.

Here’s hoping GoDaddy continues the curve away from their signature blunt, sensationalist spots.

Credits after the jump. [Ed: Welcome back, Ella]

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Sense of Humor Refreshing

Boost Mobile , the prepaid division of Sprint Nextel, is unleashing a series of spots that play off of the the “Unwronged” spots featuring Danica Patrick. I am so glad that some advertisers still have a sense of humor because I am about tired of hearing how all of these companies that were started during the Great Depression want to comfort us. Not that we don’t need a pick-me-up every once in a while, but enough is enough.

The creative is aimed at supporting a new $50 a month, “Monthly” Unlimited’ offering from Boost. The commercial features the Motorola Clutch i465, Boost Mobile’s first phone with a computer keypad. The creative was developed by Boost’s advertising agency of record, 180LA.

When I first saw the spot, I thought that it would run a couple of time and then get pulled due to some sort of  perceived offense. I am happy that I was wrong.

Although a bit far-fetched (Danica Patrick using prepaid cellular service), the overall creativity is refreshing. We are all aware of studies conducted during economic crises, and how the companies that spend through the storm emerge stronger on the other end.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. If you would like to get in touch with Jeff, please leave a reply or follow the links: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.