No Satellite, No Problem. DirecTV Touts Streaming

DirecTV Commercial
(Image credit: DirecTV)

DirecTV, long known as a satellite company, is launching a new campaign that says dishes are for the birds and that they should be streaming their TV.

A new commercial entitled The Good Stuff features two pigeons on a rooftop who a surprised to notice a household watching "the good stuff" on DirecTV without a Dish.

The voices of the pigeons–Bobby and Frank– are being supplied by Steve Buscemi and Henry Winkler.

Also Read: DirecTV Jacks Up Stream, Satellite TV and U-Verse Prices For the Second Time This Year

“For the past 30 years consumers have trusted DirecTV to bring them their entertainment and sports both at home and on the go, and the launch of today’s campaign clearly illustrates that DirecTV is available today with or without a satellite dish,” said DirecTV CMO Vince Torres. 

“This new campaign allows the ease of use of DirecTV to take center stage, through the humor and plight of Bobby and Frank, who are among the first to notice the change and then take a clever approach to explaining it to consumers,” Torres said.

For DirecTV, streaming customers are cheaper to maintain and are more valuable to addressable advertisers.

Also Read: 38% of Advertisers Call Addressable Ads a ‘Must-Buy’ in DirecTV Survey

DirecTV introduced its Gemini streaming device in early 2023, followed by the Gemini Air in mid-2023. 

The box provides an aggregation tool that eliminates the need to switch between TV inputs and offering 4K content and the customers’ favorite third-party apps, including Amazon Prime, Max and Netflix.

DirecTV’s campaign will appear in national linear TV, including ABC and ESPN’s NBA games, NHL games on Turner and American Idol.

DirecTV will also have digital out-of-home radio spots and experiential executions.

“Showing the absence of something is tricky,” said Jason Karley, executive creative director at ad agencyTBWA\Chiat\Day LA. “So the team thought about who would miss satellite dishes the most. Who spends enough time on roofs and ledges to notice? How about two street-smart, voyeur pigeons who take issue with some great news from DirecTV.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.