DirecTV Drafts Deion Sanders as Its Latest Pigeon Voice

David Gianatasio — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 07:00:43 +0000

A sassy pigeon rocking a Stetson and flashing bling. It’s the role Deion Sanders was born to play.

Now, DirecTV gives him the chance. The former NFL standout and current Colorado Buffaloes coach joins Henry Winkler and Steve Buscemi in fresh work from TBWA\Chiat\Day L.A. They voice CGI pigeons hyping DirectTV’s streaming options for college and pro football games.

“Enough squabbling.” Nice one, Deion.

Spots drop today, six month after Winkler and Buscemi’s birdbrained debut in the campaign.

So, why pluck Deion to help them plug DirecTV?

“Deion Sanders is a football icon—both on the field. He’s got the bona fides,” TBWA\C\D senior art director Jono Moore tells Muse. “Crucially, he’s got a very recognizable voice—so even in pigeon form, it’s unmistakably Deion.”

The team believes that channeling Sanders’ infamous “no-BS attitude and take-no-prisoners” style could earn the campaign extra yardage with fans, says agency senior copywriter Dylan Cimo. “And we love the absurd-but-weirdly-perfect screen chemistry of these three disparate performers.”

So, the work’s got legs?

“Legs? We think it’s got wings!” Moore says. “America has fallen in love with these birds, and we have, too. We see a world where these curmudgeons can complain about all the other great stuff DirecTV has to offer. And as far as adding more in the future, who says we’re limited to birds?”

How about trying some cats? Then we’ll see how Coach Prime really handles the heat. (He already faces a challenge with DirecTV. Like Dish and other legacy players, the service has shed subscribers in recent years.)

Smuggler’s Randy Krallman directed. The push begins breaking today across TV/OTT, digital/social, OOH and audio.

DirecTV consistently delivers entertaining campaigns. Other recent notables include “Overly Direct” with Travis Kelce and the rollicking “Get Your TV Together.”

And Sanders is no stranger to flighty advertising, having worked with Aflac’s duck a few years back.

The post DirecTV Drafts Deion Sanders as Its Latest Pigeon Voice first appeared on Muse by Clios.

Gillette Travels Back to NFL Draft Night 1989 With Deion Sanders

Muse — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 18:45:00 +0000

Now that the NFL Draft, which kicks off tonight, is an in-person event again, it’s more important than ever for prospects to look their best—not like they just rolled out of bed, as even the commish did at times last year.

And who better to deliver that message than Prime Time himself, Deion Sanders? Deion, who hosted the Clio Sports Awards a few years back, is the subject of an amusing new Gillette commercial from Grey.

The 30-second spot takes us back to 1989, where a Sanders look-alike recreates what Deion’s pre-draft routine might have looked like on the day he was drafted in the first round by the Atlanta Falcons.

Video Reference

Apr 29 2021 – 1:17pm

Tim Nudd

Video file

Poster Reference

Deion’s Draft Night | Gillette

“To all those rookies waiting for that call tonight, I’ve got a little piece of advice to you: Don’t let anybody tell you that looks don’t matter in this game,” Sanders says in the voiceover. “Because baby, when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you Prime Time good.”

The Procter & Gamble brand has worked with Sanders, now 53, before. Earlier this year Deion posted some social content for Gillette, and last year he interviewed rookies Cole Kmet, Ashtyn Davis, Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa about what “Every Day is Gameday” means to them, also for Gillette.

The post Gillette Travels Back to NFL Draft Night 1989 With Deion Sanders first appeared on Muse by Clios.

Deion Sanders | Muse by Clios

DirecTV Drafts Deion Sanders as Its Latest Pigeon Voice

Gillette Travels Back to NFL Draft Night 1989 With Deion Sanders