The Super Bowl boasts some of the most viewed and most expensive commercials in the ad world, and companies that have gambled on them, such as GoDaddy, have been able to get in front of millions of Americans, and subsequently become a household name.
We’ve come to expect a new zany commercial every year, and this year is no exception.
This 30-second ad features NASCAR driver and longtime GoDaddy spokesperson Danica Patrick not in her car but hitting the pavement in running shoes and a realistic “muscle suit”, running with a pack of bodybuilders. I won’t ruin the riddle of why this is happening, except to say that one small business owner will have her hands busy for at least a while.
The GoDaddy catchphrase, “It’s Go Time”, aptly describes the transition these companies experience when they go online in which new, unexpected customers (muscled or not) arrive.
The idea behind the ad is simple: a website can bring an unexpected flow of traffic to a traditional business, which is something that many small business owners – and Super Bowl watchers – need to hear time after time.
Viewers of the 2014 Super Bowl will see GoDaddy’s ad when it airs in the second half of the Super Bowl broadcast.
GoDaddy, however, isn’t the only web host with a Super Bowl ad running this weekend. Squarespace, which offers web hosting combined with a flexible Content Management System, has hinted at their own ad. Instead of focusing on the idea of simply having a presence on online, it seems to give us a guided tour of the internet’s terrible cliches. With its modern, functional design, Squarespace is the alternative – a tool that helps users building beautiful, simple websites.
Given the competition and the high-stakes gambles involved, it’s hard to tell who will win on Super Bowl weekend… the game is also hard to predict.