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DirecTV and XFINITY take two different approaches to call out competitors

In a world filled with more cable ads than I’d like to count, two spots, in particular, have ramped up the feistiness in uber-competitive market.

The first one is from DirecTV, and it pokes fun at competitors, showing the ineptitude of rival cable competitors, but it comes off as a commentary on the companies recent merger with AT&T, when I’m not sure that’s what it meant to accomplish. The ad is a reboot of an older series by the company and features a star-studded cast including Jeffrey Tambor, Jennifer Coolidge, Fred Willard and John Michael Higgins

The second cable oriented ad from XFINITY is much less subtle about who it’s attacking as it goes right after it’s competitors.

The spot calls out DirecTV and AT&T for having lesser technology. In a mocking tone, the ad says you’ll get TV from space, but only as long as it’s not rainy, windy or branchy (there’s a branch interfering with your dish). It then calls out the AT&T and DirecTV merger directly, calling it ‘the moment nobody has been waiting for,’ and then advertises its services.

The XFINITY spot works, despite bordering on being an attack ad, as it’s witty, direct and not afraid to call out competitors.

The two companies seem to be taking two different approaches with the ads, as DirecTV is essentially real-life sub tweeting other cable companies while XFINITY calls out its competitors by name immediately. These entertaining ads are hopefully the start of a fierce battle between two.

[Image via AdWeek]

Liam McGuire

About Liam McGuire

Liam is a contributor across the Bloguin Network for Awful Advertisements, Puck Drunk Love and The Outside Corner. He's also contributes to the TSN Analytics radio show and Vice Sports.

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