DIRECTV uses Upfront Week to pitch converged TV ads
DIRECTV Advertising launched a multi-channel out-of-home and digital campaign during Upfront Week to promote its converged TV advertising platform. The campaign, which included DOOH, experiential activations, and digital video, aimed to demonstrate DIRECTV's capability to unify live TV, streaming, and OOH advertising for brands and media buyers. Developed with TBWA\Chiat\Day LA and Starcom US, the initiative sought to position Upfront Week itself as a metaphor for DIRECTV's value proposition of bringing diverse TV content together in one place.
Key Takeaways
- The campaign started on flights into New York on Sunday, May 10, with spots on live TV programming on airplane seatbacks through DIRECTV Remote.
- The :30 video spot is the creative centerpiece and uses the tagline: "Enjoy the Week-Long Metaphor for DIRECTV."
- Campaign touchpoints include digital signage near key venues and transit hubs, LED trucks, Times Square billboards, street teams, branded carts, and custom-wrapped SUVs.
- DIRECTV Advertising worked with TBWA\Chiat\Day LA and Starcom US on the concept and execution.
- Shelby Saville said DIRECTV offers a unified platform that connects live TV, streaming, and out of home.
Why It Matters
DIRECTV is using Upfront Week itself as a proof point for its ad platform, tying the chaos of a concentrated industry event to its pitch for unified TV buying. The campaign is not just running on one channel; it spans airplane seatbacks, Times Square billboards, transit signage, street teams, and return flights, which mirrors the company’s claim of bringing live TV, streaming, and out-of-home together. The competitive subtext is clear inside a fragmented media ecosystem, where Starcom says brands want consistency, relevance, and scale. What to watch: whether DIRECTV sustains the push through the rest of the Upfront buying season, as the company says it plans to do.
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