GoDaddy hosts name contest for its new cuddly Super Bowl puppy

GoDaddy has chosen a cute and cuddly puppy for its new Super Bowl ad, but the canine actor needs a name.

The Scottsdale-based small business technology provider is shooting the Super Bowl ad later this week with longtime spokeswoman and Nascar race car driver Danica Patrick, who has been in more Super Bowl ads than any celebrity in history.

GoDaddy is reaching out to the public to find the right name for the 9-week-old male golden retriever chosen for the multimillion-dollar commercial.

Names can be recommended via social media (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook) using the hashtag #GoDaddyPuppy. But think of a name quickly — the winning name will be announced at 8 a.m. Thursday through GoDaddy’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, right before the director calls “action,” according to GoDaddy.

“We’ve had a lot of fun brainstorming ideas and we’ve even registered a few domain names for the little guy, but we just haven’t landed on one we think is just right, so we thought, why not see what the public can come up with for our little 10 pounds of cute,” GoDaddy Chief Marketing Officer Barb Rechterman said in a prepared statement.

GoDaddy has gone in a different direction for its ads. It has strayed away from its controversial racy and risqué past to center more on strategic and humorous ads featuring small business owners and targeted product placements. GoDaddy wants to be known more for helping small businesses with their online needs.

The 2015 Super Bowl ad is called “Journey Home” and will reflect the journey of a small business owner. GoDaddy is not revealing any plot specifics, but promises the commercial will be “unpredictable and twist conventional Super Bowl advertising in a way that speaks to how GoDaddy helps make small business owners’ lives better by way of easy-to-use technology.”

The 30-second ad will be created by Barton F. Graf, the new ad agency GoDaddy hired in July to continue its brand evolution. Chief Creative Officer Gerry Graf has produced eight Super Bowl ads, including this 2000 E-Trade commercial featuring a monkey.