Satellite Service’s Spots Could Be More Direct

Advertiser: Hughes Electronics’ DirecTV Inc.

Agency: Campbell-Ewald Advertising, Los Angeles

Challenge: Persuade cable TV subscribers to switch to the satellite service.

The Ads: A series of ads take on the choices offered by cable TV. In one spot, a man is shown yanking cable lines out of his walls. Another commercial shows vignettes based on the experiences of actual customers who switched from cable to DirecTV. Another commercial cites the variety of sports programming and classic movies as reasons some customers have switched from cable to DirecTV. The ads end by offering an 800 number to call for more information.

Comment: In its first national TV campaign, DirecTV attempts to capitalize on discontent among cable subscribers. So far, two of every three DirecTV subscribers have been people without access to cable service. The ads don’t give viewers much information, but they might give die-hard sports fans and movie buffs a nudge to call DirecTV’s toll-free number. $$

Ads are rated from $ to $$$$, based on probable effectiveness and tastefulness, with $$$$ being best.