DirecTV's 'Don't Be Like This' Push Wraps Sports Illustrated in Freakish Versions of NFL QBs

DirecTV is continuing its "Don't Be Like This ..." ad campaign with a 16-page wrap around Sports Illustrated featuring freakish, cable-subscriber versions of Andrew Luck, Tony Romo and Peyton and Eli Manning. The subscriber-only wrap, actually a poster that's equivalent to 16 ad pages, is the biggest cover ad package yet from Sports Illustrated parent Time Inc., according to the company. In addition to a page for each quarterback, there's a four-page ad pitching DirecTV's football offerings, such as the commercial-free Red Zone Channel and a network devoted to fantasy football. On the reverse, a poster of the complete NFL schedule promotes DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket. The ads were a collaboration between Grey and DirecTV's internal creative services, the marketer said. "Featuring celebrities in our ads is an intrinsic part of our advertising DNA and I am sure we will continue to use them in the future in a variety of ways," said Brad Bentley, CMO for entetainment and internet services at AT&T, in an email. AT&T acuired DirecTV in July. DirecTV previously ran a print iteration of the campaign, which began with Rob Lowe commercials and subsequently got dinged for unsupported claims, in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, rendering models as "Cat Lady Hannah Davis," "Mom Jeans Crissy Teigen" and "Lunch Lady Nina Agdal." In the new effort, the quarterbacks are turned into "High Voice" Peyton Manning, "Artsy Craftsy" Tony Romo, "Bearded" Andrew Luck and "Bad Comedian" Eli Manning. Newsstand copies will include the quarterbacks' inferior cable selves upside down on the back of the issues followed by two inside spreads.

DirecTV's 'Don't Be Like This' Push Wraps Sports Illustrated in Freakish Versions of NFL QBs

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