Super Bowl Web Spike Goes To GoDaddy

GoDaddy.com Ad Directed Viewers to Web Site for ‘Too Hot for TV’ Spot Featuring Danica Patrick

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/4/2008 2:41:00 PM

Akamai Technologies, which tracks Web traffic for more than one-half of the companies advertising during the Super Bowl, said there was one huge spike during the game, coming shortly after the start of the second quarter.

The spike hit 1.259 million visitors per minute and was one of the largest in the past three years that Akamai has been tracking Web traffic to the game.

A spokeswoman said the data showed the spike was driven by an ad from GoDaddy.com , which directed viewers to its site for a "Too Hot for TV" spot featuring Danica Patrick.

Actually, there were 10 spots, including a 2008 spot that it said had been rejected by Fox and various other spots labeled Internet-only versions of 2005, 2006, and 2007 Super Bowl spots.

GoDaddy.com has had trouble getting clearances for its on-air Super Bowl spots, but no trouble generating press for its failed attempts -- which may well be the strategy. The company first made a name for itself in Super Bowl lore when Fox pulled a second airing of a 2005 Super Bowl ad that lampooned the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction."

Other than the GoDaddy.com spot, there were few ads that directed viewers to the Web sites or microsites of the advertisers, which had been a trend in 2006 and 2007.

According to Akamai, Web traffic during the game averaged about 150,000 visitors per minute, with only a slight spike after the game was decided (about 9:45 p.m.).

There was no word on whether those were more GoDaddy.com fans logging in.