Wedgies, Nipple Twists Star in First Sling TV Ads

Sling TV, the $20 OTT TV service, launched its first ad campaign, making fun of the pain traditional pay TV causes subscribers.

The spots feature kid bullies forcing customers to take channels they don’t want to watch, sign contracts and pay huge bills by applying wedgies, nipple twists and other school yard torture—tactics used by cable and satellite operators, including Sling sibling Dish Network.

The campaign says that Sling TV helps consumers “take back TV” and is aimed at the millennial audience that is loaded with cord cutters, cord shavers and cord nevers.

"Millennials have polarizing feelings about TV; they love the content, but hate the pay TV model,” said Glenn Eisen, chief marketing officer of Sling TV. “The #TakeBackTV campaign introduces Sling TV as a new model and solution for the millennial audience. It directly mirrors their sentiment toward the pain points that accompany traditional pay TV, in an exaggerated, humorous and fun way.”

The spots are airing online and on TV. They are also available to view on Sling TV’s YouTube page.

The campaign was created by Camp + King, a San Francisco based ad agency.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2AKQ-aTh7U[/embed]

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.