Still From GoDaddy.com 2012 Super Bowl Commercial "Cloud" (Photo: Business Wire)

Technology, Internet traffic and cash … Go Daddy’s 2012 Super Bowl campaign delivered all three.

Still from GoDaddy.com 2012 Super Bowl commercial "Cloud" (Photo: Business Wire)

Go Daddy’s “Body Paint” ad accounted for a tremendous Internet spike during the game that coincides with a peak point in Web traffic, as reported by Akamai Technologies, a company that monitored Internet usage during the Super Bowl. Go Daddy also broke its own records for sales on a Super Bowl Sunday and for its best mobile website traffic … ever.

As a result, Go Daddy is serving more customers than ever before, rocketing past a historic 10 million customer mark during the Super Bowl broadcast. The achievement came courtesy of two Internet-Only commercials that prompted viewers to visit the Go Daddy website and a first-ever Super Bowl “technology play” involving an on-screen symbol geared for smartphone users.

Go Daddy engaged smartphone users by putting a Quick Response (QR) Code on its Super Bowl commercial, “Cloud.” Viewers scanned what looks like a barcode with their smartphones to see the Internet-Only version of “Cloud” and receive discounts for Go Daddy’s cloud-based products and services. Initially, some criticized the move, saying the QR Code looked unusual on the screen, but the gamble paid off as more viewers than ever visited GoDaddyMobile.com.

“We decided it was worth the risk to play to all the people watching the game and using their smartphones simultaneously,” said Go Daddy Executive Chairman and Founder Bob Parsons. “I’m thrilled we made the decision. Viewers scanned the code and as a result, Go Daddy set an all-time sales record for our mobile site.”

Prior to the game, it was estimated smartphone users would check their devices ten times during the game. Go Daddy has used the technology in other television ads, but a QR code had never been used in a Super Bowl commercial by any advertiser. The QR Code technique debuted with the star who has been in more Super Bowl commercials (10) than any other celebrity ever, Danica Patrick.