DIRECTV
By 2009, DIRECTV enjoyed the lead position as the number one satellite broadcast provider. However, their growth had slowed. Corporate objectives were set on igniting new momentum by taking the fight directly to cable providers in order to capture a larger market share.
Though largely at parody with cable in many facets, research proved our intuition and confirmed a small but significant opportunity for advantage: DIRECTV was perceived to have slightly better sound and picture quality compared to cable and other providers. Using this insight, we created a transformative strategic repositioning and new brand platform for DIRECTV, establishing the service as the “premium tv viewing experience.”
The "Opulence" film was the first creative we did for DIRECTV. We simultaneously launched a website from the "Russian breeder" that allowed all fans to join the waitlist to get their very own petite lap giraffe! The website included a "live" camera of the pygmy giraffe playing, sleeping and eating and included a 1-800 number for visitors to call to order the extremely rare and limited creature. At the launch of the spot, we had over 200,000 unique visits to our site via search for "mini giraffes," and with over 1,000 people calling to place an order for one in the first 10 hrs.
The results: 10M views in one week, 7.8M impressions, viewed in over 185 countries, and over 1.5 million people signed the waiting list to get their own “Petite Lap Giraffe." It became the brand’s biggest viral hit. The effort delivered the highest sales and stock prices in company history. Its value at an all-time high, DIRECTV was acquired by AT&T in a deal valued at $45B.
OPULENCE | DIRECTOR: TIM GODSALL
GYM | DIRECTOR: CHRIS HOOPER
OPULENCE/PETITE LAP GIRAFFE | CASE STUDY
In an effort to set themselves apart from cable, DIRECTV wanted to highlight specific product features that the competition didn’t have yet. So we created brand spots that hit on these features in memorable and cinematic ways, with high production values that separated them from their competitors. The Hot House film demonstrated how you can watch a show on DIRECTV, then pause it and continue watching in another room. The viewer is so immersed in the movie he’s watching that it’s like he’s literally in the movie as he travels through his house. While the Troll film shows how you can watch a show anywhere on any device. This one is memorably illustrated through the story of a giant troll who's ordered by his wife to fetch milk for their baby and embarks on an epic journey through the countryside and a terrified village—wreaking havoc, but only accidentally, as he watches a show on his tablet the whole way.
HOT HOUSE | DIRECTOR: NOAM MURRO
TROLL | DIRECTOR: NOAM MURRO
When it comes to entertainment, DIRECTV is second to none, providing viewers with the ultimate entertainment experience. So when DIRECTV decided to advertise in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, we had to find a way to stand out. And not just from other advertisers, but also from the content of an always-highly anticipated magazine filled cover to cover with the most beautiful models in the world.
Instead of simply running a print ad, we created the ultimate swimsuit model experience. No longer relegated to simply looking at pictures of the models, we created a free "Swimsuit Viewer" app that allowed readers to bring the models to life with their smartphones and tablets. When they launched the app and held their smartphones or tablets over the swimsuit models, using image recognition technology, the images on the page literally came to life. Every model had their own interactive video seamlessly blending content and advertising.
With over 15 million issues sold plus thousands and thousands of downloads, the Swimsuit Viewer App was a category first that changed the way readers engage with print, as well as the way advertisers engage with consumers. Readers got the best experience they could have ever imagined, and enjoyed the Swimsuit Issue in an all-new way.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT APP | CASE STUDY
In a separate pitch, we won the $42 Million NFL Sunday Ticket business with the unforgettable character we all know as The Fairy Godfather, Deion Sanders. Thanks to the initial 9-spot campaign and the unique print buys in Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine, DIRECTV experienced their best NFL Sunday Ticket sales in history. With that kind of success, they brought the campaign back for a second year.
In the end, the campaign yielded 19 spots total and a ton of success for the client as they reached record numbers in subscriptions in consecutive years. They also got some pretty good buzz in the sports pages and sports news shows.
DIP - NFLST | DIRECTOR: RANDY KRALLMAN
HOSS - NFLST | DIRECTOR: RANDY KRALLMAN
CHEETO - NFLST | DIRECTOR: RANDY KRALLMAN
SHABAM - NFLST | DIRECTOR: RANDY KRALLMAN
FRIDGE - NFLST | DIRECTOR: RANDY KRALLMAN
MOVING - NFLST | DIRECTOR: RANDY KRALLMAN