Jan. 23 (UPI) -- GoDaddy's latest Super Bowl ad starring Danica Patrick is a departure from the company's notoriously sexy (and some would say sexist) marketing strategy.
Instead of the bikini-clad ladies of years gone by, the internet hosting site's latest commercial features the 31-year-old race car driver as a muscle-bound body builder racing to a spray-tan store.
"Our new message is that of the go-getter -- valuable, edgy and fun," GoDaddy's new CEO, Blake Irving, told USA Today. "Two years ago, it was provocative, sexy, crazy, gutsy."
The ad, Patrick's 13th, is part of GoDaddy's renewed focus on small businesses.
"GoDaddy has always been incredibly passionate about our small-business customers, and I love how the new marketing approach showcases our support for the little guys," said founder and chairman Bob Parsons.
In October of last year, the company's CMO Barb Rechterman said in a statement that GoDaddy had "matured" and "evolved."
"I love what's going on at Go Daddy," Patrick said at the time. "Since our last Super Bowl, I've been to the new Silicon Valley office and talked with customers who are genuinely grateful for how Go Daddy helps them grow their businesses online. Go Daddy is for the go-getter, the 'little guy' looking to compete with the 'big guys,' and I love that."
[USA Today, AdWeek]
