DIRECTV Announces Pro Football Player Travis Kelce as Overly Direct Sportsperson

DIRECTV is partnering with football icon and tight end, Travis Kelce, to show fans they can get their football without compromise in an all-new campaign, 'Overly Direct Sportsperson,' launching Monday, August 7th. 

The campaign is an extension of DIRECTV's brand strategy platform, 'TV Without Compromise.' 

The 360 campaign, created in collaboration with creative agency TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, was directed by Jake Syzmanski, most recently known for his success directing the hit TV show, 'Jury Duty.'  

A second rendition following DIRECTV’s 'Overly Direct Spokesperson' with Emmy and Golden Globe winner Brian Cox, 'Overly Direct Sportsperson' explores the expansion of the campaign universe with an athlete. Other notable talent featured throughout the campaign include Kelce’s teammate, defensive tackle Chris Jones and social content from creator Reece Feldman (aka: @GuywithaMovieCamera). 

Launching at the start of football season, the campaign features a prominent football player in the league to represent the brand in relatable football fan situations. 

'Overly Direct Sportsperson' is a campaign all about not compromising. The series of spots give the audience an insight into the trials and tribulations of those who HAVE compromised, and reveal to them how it can be better, with DIRECTV. Now with a focus on football fans and sports fans at large, the spots shed light on all the ways fans suffer through bad TV experiences - for instance being unable to find the game or dealing with irritating Cable providers – and in so doing, illustrates to the audience why DIRECTV is the right choice.

With his effortless charisma and genuine acting ability, mixed in with his undeniable Football credentials and world-famous reputation, Travis was an obvious choice for the brand.

The insight behind the campaign is that consumers are making many compromises when it comes to their TV experience, but there are no bigger compromises made in TV than with football fans today. 

The fragmentation of football viewership is at an all time high - with confusion and stress on where to find games every day of the week. So as a brand uniquely positioned as the ultimate aggregator, this was a heated insight to tap into.

Mark Winters, creative director, TBWA\Chiat\Day LA said, “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? 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.” 

"I’ve loved seeing the DIRECTV commercials over the years and I’m honoured to follow in the footsteps of several football legends that I also call friends," said Travis Kelce. “This is a fun campaign and showcases DIRECTV as the ideal solution for football fans looking for a great viewing experience.”

“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,” said 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 personalisation.”

The work showcases DIRECTV’s superior customer service experience along with its latest functions and features - especially its new Sports Central experience. With Sports Central, fans will enjoy aggregated NFL games, whether they’re on live TV or a streaming app, as well as personalised content- the ultimate football experience just in time for the start of the season. As well as showcasing these superior product benefits, the campaign is fun and memorable, lives up to our previous work and sets the groundwork for future campaigns.