GoDaddy Taking a Less Bumpy Road to Super Bowl Ads

It’s the first time in eight consecutive Super Bowls that the Scottsdale, Ariz., provider of web hosting and domain names has not gotten its initial scripts turned down by the network hosting the game, said Barb Rechterman, CMO at GoDaddy.

Ms. Rechterman vowed the company’s coming ads “are hot,” but that the company has learned what networks will and won’t accept. “We’re starting to get a little more aware of what they’re looking for and what will pass and what won’t pass,” Ms. Rechterman said.

That’s partly because GoDaddy has become a broader TV advertiser and more familiar with network standards, according to Ms. Rechterman. “In earlier years, we weren’t buying a lot of television at that point,” she said. “We were buying the Super Bowl.” Now the company understands that certain dialogue or flashes of skin can trigger network honchos’ greatest fears.

GoDaddy has regularly tried to use its ads’ rejections to get extra attention, of course, joining a large group of would-be Super Bowl advertisers that try to make the most of a “no” from networks. Some aren’t really serious about running a commercial in the Super Bowl to begin with. GoDaddy always actually airs ads in the game — but often concludes by pointing viewers to “unrated” versions posted online.

This year’s early approval, however, suggests GoDaddy may be shifting away from relying on controversy for publicity.