NFL quarterback Dak Prescott goes head-to-head with Teresa Giudice and an all-star team of Real Housewives in this DIRECTV spot, “The Wives’ House,” directed by Jake Szymanski and Payman Benz via production house Gifted Youth for TBWAChiatDay Los Angeles.
The aim of the campaign is to highlight DIRECTV’s superpower: bringing all the TV you love–whether it’s live sports, reality TV, or anything else–together in one place.
The offbeat football game’s offensive lineup in “The Wives’ House” features Dallas Cowboys QB Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. On defense are some of the fiercest, most glamorous, most iconic Real Housewives from multiple franchises of the series–Giudice, Kyle Richards, and Kenya Moore.
The comedy spot reveals what happens when reality TV and live sports come together. In this over-the-top, mashed-up world, audiences get a front row seat for big hits, trick plays, high fashion and low blows–including Giudice’s first touchdown, and Prescott’s first table flip. How’s that for role reversal?
This is the third iteration of the “Get Your TV Together” advertising campaign since its launch in August 2021. The first version featured all-time tennis great Serena Williams as Wonder Woman, and the second included baseball legends Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson in an entirely new role as GOATbusters.
“The Wives’ House” spot launches across linear TV with a longform asset running on digital and social. Cutdowns of the :30, as well as high impact digital placements, will complement the TV media.
Digital experience agency Critical Mass also partnered to bring the campaign to life across digital and social – from a Meta AR game to Snap filters and Reddit integrations.
In addition to TBWAChiatDay LA, an Omnicom integrated agency team including Critical Mass, Hearts & Science, KERN and fluent360, worked together to help bring the campaign to life.
Client DIRECTV Agency TBWAChiatDay LA Renato Fernandez, chief creative officer; Jason Karley, group creative director; Mark Winters, Ryan Buckley, creative directors; Josh Hill, sr. copywriter; Cheston Kwan, sr. art director; Jessica Nugent, copywriter; Rachel Findlay, art director; Andrew Bae, jr. art director; Bruno Regalo, chief design officer; Sydney Tomer, Ekaterina Cervantes, designers; Guia Iacomin, director of integrated production; Alicia Portner, sr. producer; Dena Moore, executive art producer; Jen Costello, chief strategy officer; Jesse Unger, group strategy director; Laura Gorder, associate strategy director; Hannah Schweitzer, strategist; Laura Mayer, sr. director of data; Josh Brinkmann, data strategist. Production Gifted Youth Jake Szymanski, Payman Benz, directors; Josh Morse, exec producer; Bernard Rahill, line producer; Carl Herse, DP; Kim Rees, production designer. Editorial The Den Katie Cali, editor; James Bird, assistant; Jennifer Mersis, exec producer; Vic Palumbo, managing director; Carolina Padilla, producer. VFX JAMM Jake Montgomery, VFX supervisor/lead Flame; Ryland Bowen, Patrick Munoz, Graziella Gandolfi, Marcus Woods, Paul Downes, Flame artists; Zachary Dimaria, CG supervisor; Steven Nelson, Sebastian Mayer, CG artists; Jon Lazar, production coordinator; Ashley Greyson, sr. producer; Asher Edwards, exec producer. Color JAMM Adam Scott, colorist; Carver Moore, color assist; Jon Lazar, color producer. Audio Post/SFX String & Tins Culum Simpson, Jim Stewart, sound designers; Foley Walkers, foley; Laura-Leigh Smith, Alina Miroshnichenko, audio producers. Music Walker Sara Matarazzo, managing director; Stephanie Pigott, sr. EP; Danielle Soury, sr. producer. Audio Mix Lime Studios Matt Miller, sound mixer; Ian Connie, mix assistant; Susie Boyajan, exec producer.
Filmmaker Natalie Johns Creates Spec Gun Violence Prevention PSA
Her social media feed is filled with frustration and “prayers” for families torn apart by yet another mass shooting as filmmaker Natalie Johns is engaged in the morning ritual of negotiating school attendance with her 4½-year-old. Between laughing and arguing with their daughter, the Johns think deeply about the prospect of waking up without her--deeply enough to feel an inch of what it might be like to lose her--a feeling profound enough inspire her most personal commitment to date as a filmmaker.
“Gun violence should not be a normalized part of life in America,” she noted. “I felt it was worth putting my whole heart on the line to deliver this message.”
The director invited her long-time collaborator and cinematographer, Bill Kirstein (Mean Girls, Happyend), to capture their family’s experience over several mornings in a spec PSA. She wanted to capture her own joy and truth as a parent with a view to inspiring action from the deepest love she has known.
On the third day of filming, Johns received an email from their daughter’s preschool notifying parents of a lockdown that had occurred due to a gunman outside the school. The children, aged 2-5, were gathered in a small bathroom for an hour, singing songs with their teachers while the man was apprehended by law enforcement. This was the family’s first narrow escape from tragedy.
“The coincidence of filming this PSA and experiencing my family’s first lockdown was both shocking and surreal. I simply could not wrap my head around it,” said director Johns.
Even more terrifying for Johns was discussing the incident with other parents who had already experienced several lockdowns with their older children. This reality is all too common and far too... Read More