MONEY

GoDaddy signs a puppy to star in Super Bowl commercial

The little ball of fluff needs a name - and GoDaddy wants the public's help. Anyone who wants to name the yellow pup should use the hashtag #GoDaddyPuppy before filming starts Thursday.

Laurie Merrill
The Republic | azcentral.com
  • The first time I saw him was in an email photo I shared with a few friends and we all just said the same thing%3A AWWWWWW%21 - Danica Patrick said.
  • The little ball of fluff needs a name - and GoDaddy wants the public%27s help. Anyone who wants to name the yellow pup should use the hashtag %23GoDaddyPuppy before filming starts Thursday.
  • The Super Bowl ad is called %22Journey Home%22 and will reflect the journey of a small business owner%2CGoDaddy said.

Harry? Furry? Fluffy? Sweetie? Nugget?

GoDaddy has signed a soft and furry unknown canine to star alongside Danica Patrick in a Super Bowl commercial.

"He's cute and cuddly. He's soft and sweet," the Scottsdale-based technology company said in a press release Monday.

"He's also an unproven talent, though he's demonstrated a dynamic chemistry with the camera at the young age of just nine-weeks and that's what landed the coveted Super Bowl role."

The little ball of fluff needs a name - and GoDaddy wants the public's help.

Anyone who wants to name the yellow pup should use the hashtag #GoDaddyPuppy before filming starts Thursday

Post your ideas to the GoDaddy Facebook page, or via Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #GoDaddyPuppy. GoDaddy will pick a name between now and Thursday morning.

"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," said GoDaddy Chief Marketing Officer Barb Rechterman.

Related:It's official: GoDaddy ads will remain less sexy

Related:GoDaddy, Yelp, PayPal prep Arizona businesses for Super Bowl

The pup, a male Golden Retriever, was born in California in early October and has five siblings. He's being trained by a Hollywood trainer who has worked with on-screen ducks, cows, squirrels and yes, dogs over the years, according to GoDaddy officials.

Danica Patrick, who has been in more Super Bowl ads than any celebrity in history, according to GoDaddy, has suggested a few names, including "Harry" and "Ranger."

"The first time I saw him was in an email photo I shared with a few friends and we all just said the same thing … 'AWWWWWW!'" Patrick has a puppy of her own named Dallas -- who has her own Twitter handle.

"I'm confident I can talk our GoDaddy puppy into social media too."

The male golden retriever was born in California in early October and has five siblings. He's being trained by a Hollywood trainer who has worked with on-screen ducks, cows, squirrels and yes, dogs over the years.

He can "sit" and "stay" already, but is working on a much richer repertoire for his two-day on-location shoot outside Los Angeles.

The Super Bowl ad is called "Journey Home" and will reflect the journey of a small business owner.

"The company is not revealing 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 thirty-second ad is the creative work of Barton F. Graf, whose Chief Creative Officer Gerry Graf has produced eight Super Bowl ads over the years, including the popular E*Trade commercial featuring a monkey and an unexpected punch line at the end," GoDaddy's press release said.

Tune in Thursday at 10 a.m. Eastern Time to learn the winning name.

Go to GoDaddy's Facebook page or check Twitter Thursday morning to learn whether your suggestion is headed to the world's largest advertising stage.

Go a name for this Super Bowl commericial star?