DirecTV mascots Frank and Bobby have returned in time for fall sports — and, this time, a new pigeon has joined their flock.
A new national ad campaign debuted by the pay TV platform this week sees Frank (Henry Winkler) and Bobby (Steve Buschemi) welcome Coach Prime (Deion Sanders) into the mix.
The message remains the same: Sports fans don’t need a satellite dish to watch their favorite teams on DirecTV — they can sign up for DirecTV via Internet and enjoy the same broadcast and national channels through a convenient, Internet-connected platform.
The spots, called “For the Birds,” began running on national radio and television earlier this week. A DirecTV spokesperson said the campaign will also involve “experimental elements” that will be revealed in the weeks to come.
“America fell in love with Bobby and Frank when we made them stars of our nationwide campaign earlier this year to educate consumers that DirecTV is available satellite-free,” Vince Torres, the Chief Marketing Officer at DirecTV, said in a statement. “With Coach Prime, we’ve added a new, confident and very astute bird to the flock, who expresses his excitement over how DirecTV delivers an unparalleled watching experience to sports fans.”
It isn’t clear how DirecTV settled on pigeons to be the face of the company’s sports campaigns, but the bird is perfectly suited for the role: People have bred and trained pigeons for competitive purposes for hundreds of years, and a prized racing pigeon recently fetched nearly $1.8 million at auction four years ago.
DirecTV shares that sense of competition: Currently, the pay TV platform is offering new customers a $240 discount and a $140 Visa rewards card when they purchase DirecTV’s Entertainment plan or higher, plus the DirecTV Sports Pack. A 24-month commitment is required, but a satellite dish is not. Streamers who are looking for a more-flexible option can also score a deep discount on DirecTV Stream, a comparable but separate pay TV product, which will earn them between $30 and $39 off their monthly bill for three months when they sign up by clicking or tapping this link.
