DirectTV’s “Overly Direct Sportsperson” campaign, set to launch on August 7, features football icon and tight end Travis Kelce as the new spokesperson. This campaign is an extension of the brand’s “TV Without Compromise” brand strategy platform which featured Emmy and Golden Globe winner Brian Cox as the “Overly Direct Spokesperson.”
The new campaign aims to highlight the importance of not compromising on TV experiences, especially for football fans. It addresses the challenges football fans face with the fragmentation of football viewership and the difficulties of finding games across various platforms.
The campaign emphasizes DirecTV’s position as the ultimate aggregator, offering a superior customer service experience and the latest features, including the new Sports Central experience. Sports Central allows fans to enjoy aggregated NFL games, whether through live TV or streaming apps, and offers personalized content, providing the ultimate football experience just in time for the start of the season.
Travis Kelce was chosen as the spokesperson due to his effortless charisma, genuine acting ability, and his well-known reputation as a football champion. The campaign was created in collaboration with creative agency TBWA\Chiat\Day LA and directed by Jake Syzmanski.
“Our previous campaign featuring Brian Cox as our ‘Overly Direct Spokesperson’ was all about showing people how they’re compromising on their TV. The challenge was, how do we adapt the work into a campaign that does the same thing — but for football,” says Mark Winters, Creative Director, TBWA\Chiat\Day.
Winters adds, “LA To tackle all the ways fans are compromising on gameday, we drafted football champ Travis Kelce and put a twist on the format by turning him into our Overly Direct *Sports*person. Travis is a good eight inches taller than Brian Cox. Nevertheless, those are big shoes to fill. All the more reason the whole team was incredibly impressed with Travis’ out-of-the-box charm, energy, and charisma. He brought his A-game to set every day — and I think that really translates to the finished product.” Watch below:
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“I’ve loved seeing the DirecTV commercials over the years and I’m honored to follow in the footsteps of several football legends that I also call friends,” said Kelce. “This is a fun campaign and showcases DirecTV as the ideal solution for football fans looking for a great viewing experience,” noted Kelce.
“The new Overly Direct Sportsperson spots and digital activations are a light-hearted way to demonstrate DIRECTV’s leadership in bringing sports, including football, to viewers, whether through live TV or various streaming apps,” concluded Vince Torres, chief marketing officer, DirecTV. “The campaign is intended to be fun, with a focus on the differentiation of the DirecTV customer experience, including sports access, aggregation, and personalization.”
The campaign includes various formats such as TV commercials, radio spots, social media content, and additional digital and social media content.
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on X at @colinthewriter1
